Joo Kyu-il, Mayor of Jinju, Visits Central Government Departments to Secure National Funding and Resolve Current Issues

Opposition to LH Separation Reform Plan, Critical Efforts to Attract Lee Kun-hee Art Museum and Other Key Projects

Mayor Jo Gyu-il Visits the Ministry of Economy and Finance [Image Source=Jinju City]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Jo Gyu-il, mayor of Jinju City, visited central government agencies including the Government Seoul Office, the National Assembly, the Finance and Economy Committee, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety from the 7th to the 9th.

During the visit to the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, he explained the status of Jinju City's major national budget projects for 2022 and sought understanding and cooperation from the review officers.

At the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, he visited the Fiscal and Economic Division to discuss key financial issues such as local allocation tax.

In particular, he emphasized that six projects, including the ▲Geumsan Senior Citizens' Center Construction Project ▲Sangdae-dong Senior Citizens' Center Construction Project ▲Munsan Deoknam Village Urban Planning Road Construction Project, which are special local grant projects applied for in the first half of the year, are essential for promoting balanced regional development and developing underdeveloped areas.

The city has applied for 524.4 billion KRW in transferred funds including the national budget, an increase of 138.1 billion KRW compared to last year, and is operating a special countermeasures headquarters to secure the national budget, planning to continue efforts until the budget is finalized in December.

Before visiting the central government agencies that day, Mayor Jo Gyu-il visited members of the Jinju Innovation City (LH) Protection Civic Movement Headquarters in Gyeongnam, who were holding a protest against the separation of LH in front of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, to encourage their efforts.

He expressed gratitude for their dedication to the region and conveyed Jinju City's opinions on the government's LH separation reform plan, a current hot topic in the region, during visits to the Housing and Land Office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Culture and Arts Policy Office of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, also explaining the justification for attracting the Lee Kun-hee Museum of Art.

Mayor Jo stated, “In a situation where the burden on local finances is increasing due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, we will do our best to secure the national budget to carry out major projects without delay and create a city capable of sustainable development. I ask all citizens to unite their efforts for regional issues such as opposing the LH separation reform plan and attracting the Lee Kun-hee Museum of Art.”

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