Pohang Mayor Lee Gang-deok, "Creating a Vibrant Future and a Sustainable City Where Citizens Are Happy"

City Council Regular Session, Budget Proposal Submission Speech... Explanation of Next Year's Administrative Operation Direction

Focus on Expanding Pohang's Growth Value, Urban Value Expansion, Citizen Value Improvement, and Living Value Increase

On the 2nd, Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang City, stated, "Although next year is expected to bring increased uncertainty in key industries and difficulties in the livelihood economy due to changes in domestic and international conditions, we will focus our administrative capabilities to create a vibrant future and a sustainable city where citizens are happy."

Mayor Lee, "Creating a vibrant future and a sustainable city where citizens are happy." Photo by Pohang City

At the 320th Pohang City Council's 2nd regular meeting held that day, Mayor Lee outlined the direction of city administration for the coming year through a policy speech accompanying the budget proposal.

First, Mayor Lee explained Pohang City's achievements in diversifying industries and improving living conditions, including the nation's first specialized complexes in three advanced new industry sectors, the selection of two glocal universities, and designation as the largest opportunity development special zone in the country.

He then presented the next year's budget of 2.89 trillion won aimed at realizing a sustainable East Sea-centered Pohang through creativity, convergence, and innovation, proposing specific administrative directions in four major areas: expanding growth value, extending urban value, enhancing citizen value, and improving living value.

First and foremost, the city will expand growth value for the future of the city.

To leap forward as an advanced innovative city with global competitiveness, Pohang plans to diversify the portfolio of secondary battery products, secure cutting-edge technologies, and establish an all-encompassing development hub where research, demonstration, startups, and talent cultivation occur simultaneously. Additionally, by securing advanced bio technologies linked to the bio-specialized complex, the city aims to create an innovative biomedical city.

Furthermore, to actively respond to the domestic Distributed Energy Act enforcement, the EU's carbon border tax, and the full-scale implementation of RE100, the city will establish a hydrogen-specialized complex-centered infrastructure and build a value chain network for related upstream and downstream industries, as well as develop blue-green hydrogen technologies to lay the foundation for eco-friendly renewable energy production.

In particular, Mayor Lee expressed his ambition to make Pohang the mecca of AI industry, stating that AI and digital industries will become new growth engines. He pledged to accelerate ecosystem expansion by promoting AI and digital transformation across all city sectors through a dedicated AI organization.

Secondly, the city will strive to expand urban value to invigorate the city.

Following meetings with UN-affiliated organizations and attendance at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties, which helped raise international awareness of Pohang's development and transformation, the city plans to develop signature international conferences with Pohang's unique characteristics to become a 'K-MICE industry central hub.'

Moreover, by creating new tourism infrastructure such as the Homigot Peninsula premium tourism special zone linked with the memorial park, the city will nurture a glocal tourism hub that attracts people. The downtown area will be developed as a compact city, while non-downtown areas will be developed as spaces for tourism, leisure, and relaxation, creating an attractive city where anyone wants to stay.

Additionally, the city will lead the Yeongilman Port era by strategically attracting cargo volumes linked to new industries, pioneering Arctic routes, and expanding infrastructure in preparation for East Sea deep-sea gas field development. Early completion of Dongbin Bridge will help disperse downtown traffic, and expansion of Pohang Station parking lots and strengthened connections with metropolitan transportation networks will support sustainable growth.

Thirdly, the city will enhance citizen value by creating an innovative ecosystem that attracts talent.

By establishing a support system for startups at each stage, Pohang aims to become a city where ambitious youth can easily start businesses. The city will also create diverse jobs in advanced technology specialties and cultural contents, while fostering a society where labor is respected through industrial accident prevention.

Furthermore, to enable local talents to stay and lead the regional economy, the city will open new industry-related education programs in collaboration with local universities and establish a convergence-type education platform as an education development special zone to lay the foundation for nurturing global talents.

Alongside this, the city plans to build a growth ladder by expanding special guarantees for small business management funds, promoting glocal universities, and fostering a youth-friendly city so that small business owners, youth, and universities can grow together with the region.

Moreover, the city will become a safe city that fundamentally prevents casualties through scientific safety management based on data and disaster governance involving collaboration among police, residents, and related organizations.

Lastly, Mayor Lee Kang-deok announced plans to improve living value to create a city where daily life is happy.

The city will realize a beautiful green city by implementing life-friendly street greenery, child-safe green forests, ecological restoration of four major rivers, and connecting interrupted sections of the Haeparang Trail. Expansion of sports infrastructure and cultural infrastructure such as the second building of the municipal art museum will allow citizens to easily enjoy culture and leisure in daily life.

Additionally, through the Ainuri Center, the city will provide tangible welfare services such as systematic Pohang-style infant care projects and customized care by life cycle. Leading the integrated construction of the Northern Health Center and Disaster Trauma Center, the city will also achieve the establishment of POSTECH Medical School, expand public medical infrastructure, and strengthen essential medical services focused on childbirth and pediatrics to support citizens' comfortable lives.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, "I will devote myself with dedication and responsibility to keep the promise made at the beginning of my term to open a new era with citizens and create a leaping Pohang." He added, "Let us expand international exchanges across all city sectors and together build a small but strong city, a city preparing for a sustainable future, and a city competing globally."

Mayor Kang-deok Lee of Pohang City, announcing the direction of city administration for the next year at the Pohang City Council. Photo by Pohang City

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