County Governor Kang Jin-won Visits National Assembly to Request National Funding

Actively Proposing 5 Current Projects and Public Contest Initiatives to Assemblyman Kim Seung-nam

[Gangjin=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su] On the 18th, Gangjinwon, the governor of Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do, visited the National Assembly to meet with National Assembly member Kim Seung-nam and requested the inclusion of five major Gangjin projects in the national budget and active cooperation for public contest projects.

At this meeting, Governor Kang proposed the following major projects: ▲ four-lane expansion and paving of National Road No. 23 between Gangjin and Maryang, ▲ railway construction in the central-southern region of Jeollanam-do, ▲ development of a marine leisure tourism hub, ▲ multipurpose Yongchon irrigation development project in the Wolnam district, and ▲ multipurpose rural irrigation development project in the Hwasan district. He also explained public contest projects including △ Sukma Port fishing village vitality enhancement project, △ pilot project for agricultural food vouchers, and △ damage compensation service for shellfish decline in Gangjin Bay.

National Assembly member Kim Seung-nam said, “I empathize with the necessity and regional specificity of Gangjin-gun’s proposed projects and will actively support the success of the 8th local government’s policies by resolving various regional issues.”

The four-lane expansion and paving of National Road No. 23 between Gangjin and Maryang (national budget 150 billion KRW) is a long-standing wish of Gangjin residents. Following the opening of the Maryang-Gogeum and Gogeum-Shinji connecting roads, traffic and freight volumes have sharply increased, making four-lane expansion necessary. Governor Kang requested that this be reflected in the 5th Five-Year Plan for National and Local Road Construction to ensure balanced national development and guarantee residents’ basic transportation rights.

The railway construction in the central-southern region of Jeollanam-do (national budget 1.9 trillion KRW) is an urgent issue to alleviate inconvenience for residents and tourists, as there is no railway connecting Naju Station to Yeongam, Gangjin, and Wando, resulting in travel times exceeding four hours. He explained the rationale for including this railway construction in the national railway network modification plan.

The development of a marine leisure tourism hub in Gangjin Bay (national budget 30 billion KRW) is a convergence-type tourism project combining sea, ecology, Namdo cuisine, tourism, and sports through activities such as yachting, kayaking, boating, water skiing, mudflat experiences, a marine-view camping site, and the Gangjin Bay trail. He appealed for budget support.

Additionally, the creation of a waterside park as part of the multipurpose rural irrigation development in the Wolnam district (national budget 68.8 billion KRW) is linked to the ongoing multipurpose rural irrigation development project in the Wolnam district (national budget 16 billion KRW) since 2019. This project aims to create a park harmonizing with the scenic Wolchulsan Mountain, Muwisa Temple, Gangjin Tea Garden, and Baegundong Garden, emphasizing the necessity of establishing an agricultural income base utilizing ecological and cultural resources in farming and mountain villages.

Among other public contest projects, the ‘Agricultural Food Voucher’ project (national budget 500 million KRW, county budget 500 million KRW) provides 40,000 KRW per month for agricultural food purchases to households with less than 50% of median income. This policy allows purchasing domestic fruits, vegetables, eggs, and grains at places like Nonghyup Hanaro Mart or local food direct stores. Both Assemblyman Kim and Governor Kang agreed on the necessity of this project to improve the diet and quality of life for low-income groups.

Governor Gang Jinwon stated, “For financially strained Gangjin-gun, securing national budget for major pending projects is not optional but essential. I will continue to visit not only the National Assembly but also central government ministries and the provincial office to make requests.” He added, “I will meet anyone and go anywhere to ensure smooth progress of pending projects such as job creation, tourist attraction, and regional economic revitalization through budget acquisition.”

Amid the government’s fiscal tightening policy for next year and fierce competition among local governments to secure national budget for pending projects, Governor Gang Jinwon has shown an active approach for regional development and solving pending issues of the 8th local government, starting with a meeting with Governor Kim Young-rok just ten days after his inauguration last month and visiting the provincial education office on August 11.

Gangjin=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su gabrielw@asiae.co.kr

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