Naju Mayor Kang In-gyu Hustles to Secure National Funding for Next Year's Key Projects

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong] Kang In-gyu, mayor of Naju, Jeollanam-do, is working tirelessly to secure the national budget for pending projects in 2022.

According to Naju City on the 19th, Mayor Kang visited the National Assembly on the 17th and met with lawmakers Cho Oh-seop, Seol Hoon, Yang Hyang-ja, and Shin Jeong-hoon to request the inclusion and support of government funding for four national pending projects for the next year.

He also delivered proposal requests to the offices of lawmakers Seo Sam-seok and Lee Gae-ho.

The projects for which national funding was requested are ▲ Yeongsan Bridge performance improvement (45 billion KRW) ▲ Daehodistrict public parking lot construction (7 billion KRW) ▲ Gwangju-Jeonnam Joint Innovation City Complex Innovation Center construction (62.6 billion KRW) ▲ Advanced agricultural complex facility construction (5.5 billion KRW), totaling four projects.

Among the proposed projects, Yeongsan Bridge, completed in 1972, received a ‘D grade’ in a detailed safety inspection due to aging, indicating urgent repair and improvement needs.

Due to severe damage to major components, vehicle traffic has been restricted since October last year to a height of 3 meters or less, weight of 20.1 tons, and speed of 50 km/h.

Mayor Kang emphasized, “With the recent enactment of the Sustainable Infrastructure Management Basic Act, the government support basis for bridge improvement has been established,” adding, “It is essential to include the national budget for next year to prevent disaster accidents caused by aging facilities and to alleviate residents’ traffic inconveniences.”

The construction of the Complex Innovation Center is considered a key project for improving residential infrastructure in the Gwangju-Jeonnam Joint Innovation City.

The center will be located at 199 Bitgaram-dong, with a total floor area of approximately 20,000 square meters (site area 9,085 square meters), consisting of one basement floor and five above-ground floors. The total project cost is 62.6 billion KRW, including 19 billion KRW in national funding.

Design work has been underway since May, with construction scheduled to start in March next year and completion targeted for May 2024.

The center will house a swimming pool, cultural center seminar rooms, a multipurpose gymnasium, the Innovation City Development Foundation, and a youth startup support center.

Mayor Kang explained, “The Complex Innovation Center, along with the Living SOC Complex Center, is the residents’ top priority project to improve the poor residential conditions of the Innovation City,” adding, “Active interest and support are needed so that construction can begin as soon as possible to promote population inflow into the stagnant Innovation City and meet residents’ cultural and welfare needs.”

Naju=Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yukbong bong2910@asiae.co.kr

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