Daejeon Secures 4.4494 Trillion Won in National Funds for Next Year... Insufficient Support for Tram Construction and More

Up 4.1% from This Year... Requested Tram Construction Subsidy Only One-Third of Needed Amount
5.1 Billion Won for Public Children's Rehabilitation Hospital Operations Not Reflected... National Assembly Camp to Start in November

Yoo Deukwon, Deputy Mayor of Daejeon, is briefing on the scale of national budget secured for the next year on the 28th. / Daejeon Photo by Park Jongmyung

The amount of national funding secured for Daejeon City next year has increased by 4.1% compared to this year, but the construction budget for the tram project, which is set to begin in earnest, remains at only one-third of the amount initially requested from the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Additionally, support for the operation of Daejeon Public Children's Rehabilitation Hospital was not included.

According to Daejeon City on the 28th, the government budget proposal for next year includes 4.4494 trillion won in national funding. This figure, which includes 2.4501 trillion won in government subsidies and local allocation taxes, represents a 4.1% (175.4 billion won) increase over this year's budget.

In the SOC (Social Overhead Capital) sector, the following projects were included: △Construction of Urban Railway Line 2 Tram (60 billion won) △Phase 1 Construction of Chungcheong Metropolitan Railway (38.4 billion won) △Opening of the East Entrance Road to Daedeok Innopolis (8 billion won) △Construction of Road between Jeongnim Middle School and Sajeonggyo (9 billion won) △Construction of Connecting Road to Hoedeok IC on the Gyeongbu Expressway (5 billion won).

In the research and development (R&D) and economic sectors, the budget includes: △Establishment of an Open Quantum Fab (5 billion won) △Creation of a Quantum Testbed (4.8 billion won) △Quantum Computing Transition Scale-up Valley Project (3 billion won) △Establishment of EUV Inspection Equipment Technology and Infrastructure (2.1 billion won) △Smart Logistics Technology Demonstration (8.7 billion won) △Establishment of a Space Industry Cluster (3.6 billion won).

In the culture, sports, and tourism sectors, the budget proposal includes: △Convergence Special Visual Content Cluster (12.9 billion won) △Creation of Oncheon Culture Park (1 billion won) △Establishment of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Daejeon Branch (design cost: 530 million won).

In the green and environmental sectors, the following projects were included: △Construction of the Second Waste Treatment Facility (14.5 billion won) △Creation of Climate Response Urban Forests (5.7 billion won) △Buffer Storage Facilities for Daejeon, Daedeok, and Daedeok Technovalley Industrial Complexes (12.9 billion won) △Garden City Development Project (2 billion won).

However, for the Urban Railway Line 2 Tram project, which will begin in earnest next year, only 60 billion won in national funding was allocated, despite an initial request for 184.6 billion won from the Ministry of Economy and Finance?just one-third of the requested amount.

In addition, although Daejeon Public Children's Rehabilitation Hospital opened in May last year and has been accumulating deficits, the requested 5.1 billion won in operational support was not included at all.

Regarding this, Cho Cheolhui, Director of the Urban Railway Construction Bureau, stated, "With 60 billion won in national funding and 70 billion won in city funding, we have secured 130 billion won, so there should be no problem proceeding with the project."

Yoo Deukwon, Daejeon Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs, said, "For projects that were not included or need increased funding, we will work closely with local National Assembly members to secure additional funds during the parliamentary review stage."

Daejeon City plans to operate a National Assembly camp staffed by its employees starting in November, once the government budget proposal is submitted to the National Assembly on September 2, and will work in close cooperation with lawmakers and political circles to ensure that projects not included or requiring increased funding pass the review process.

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