Mokpo Mayor Kim Jong-sik Hustles to Secure National Funding for Key Projects

Poetry, Striving to Secure Special Grants to Resolve Severely Insufficient Local Government Finances

Kim Jong-sik, Mayor of Mokpo (left), met with Jeon Hae-cheol, Minister of the Interior and Safety, to secure national funding for priority projects. Photo by Mokpo City.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] Mokpo City, Jeonnam Province, led by Mayor Kim Jongsik, announced on the 28th that it is making every effort to secure special grants from central government ministries.

As of 2021, the city's financial independence ranked 99th out of 243 local governments nationwide (19.96%). Mayor Kim, judging that it is difficult to promote independent projects with the currently insufficient financial base, is interpreted as having the insight to secure special grants to address regional development issues.

On the 27th, Mayor Kim met with Minister Jeon Haecheol of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to explain the necessity of key projects and the need for government financial support, requesting special grant assistance.

Special grants are government funds used to cover project costs that local governments find difficult to resolve with their own resources, and local governments nationwide make special efforts to secure them.

The key projects for which Mayor Kim requested support include ▲ Yonghae District Cultural Facility Construction Project (1 billion KRW) ▲ Youth Shelter Box Park Creation (500 million KRW) ▲ 30-ri Beach Flavor Road Construction (1 billion KRW) ▲ Disaster Safety Electronic Display Installation Project (400 million KRW) ▲ Mokpo General Stadium Construction in preparation for the National Sports Festival (5 billion KRW), among others.

The city plans to lead financial support for projects that will drive regional development through continuous efforts to secure national funds.

Mayor Kim Jongsik stated, “Although the situation is difficult due to COVID-19 response, securing funds is more urgent than ever to smoothly promote local pending projects,” and added, “Despite financial difficulties, we will do our best to secure national funds so that pending projects can proceed without setbacks.”

Meanwhile, the city is making strenuous efforts to secure national funds, including multiple visits to central government ministries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.