Governor Kim Jintae: "The Era of 10 Trillion Won in National Funding Begins... Three Major Government-Proposed Projects Included"

10.203 Trillion Won, Up 5.1% from Last Year
Significant Increase in Funding for Future Industries, Welfare, and SOC

Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, announced on September 1 that the government budget proposal for 2026 includes a record-high allocation of 1.0203 trillion won in national funding for Gangwon Province, marking the first time in the province’s history that it has entered the “10 trillion won era.”

Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is conducting a press briefing. Photo by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province

This amount represents an increase of 497.8 billion won (5.1%) compared to the previous year. The budget not only supports the development of future industries such as semiconductors, biohealth, and hydrogen, but also significantly expands welfare funding and includes a large number of projects to improve social overhead capital (SOC). This achievement goes beyond a simple quantitative increase, achieving qualitative growth as well.

The amount of national funding secured has more than tripled in 16 years, rising from 3.7 trillion won in 2010. It is also about 2 trillion won higher than the 8.2 trillion won secured at the end of the 7th popularly elected administration.

Kim Siseong, Chairperson of the Provincial Council, said, “For the first time ever, we have entered the 10 trillion won era for national funding. Major SOC projects such as the Second Gyeongchun Expressway and the Yeongwol-Samcheok Expressway have been included, and there has been a substantial increase in support for future industries, further solidifying the foundation for Gangwon to become a global city for future industries.”

Governor Kim Jintae stated on September 1, “On the first day of September, I am pleased to share with the residents of our province the news that we have entered the era of 10 trillion won in national funding. This achievement marks the opening of a new future for Gangwon.”

Kim Jin-tae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, and Kim Si-sung, Chairperson of the Provincial Council, are conducting a press briefing. Provided by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province

He continued, “This year’s national funding includes a significant allocation for future industries, welfare, and SOC, reflecting our vision of transforming Gangwon into a global city for future industries.”

He also expressed his gratitude, saying, “I deeply thank all the residents who supported us, the provincial and municipal officials, and the National Assembly members who contributed to each project. We will do our utmost to ensure the successful implementation of these projects by matching provincial and municipal funds as needed.”

Governor Kim explained, “Once the government budget proposal is submitted to the National Assembly tomorrow, we will work closely with local National Assembly members to defend the secured national funding and seek to increase allocations for projects that were not included.”

Regarding projects of particular importance to him, Governor Kim Jintae said, “I have been constantly concerned about the Yongmun-Hongcheon metropolitan railway and the Samcheok-Gangneung high-speed railway. Although both are still undergoing preliminary feasibility studies, their inclusion in the government budget proposal is a positive sign for passing those studies. The economic revitalization project for abandoned mining areas, which passed on August 20, is also proceeding in parallel with the government budget proposal, reflecting the government’s strong commitment to these initiatives.”

The Era of 10 Trillion Won National Budget for Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Opens. Provided by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province

Governor Kim met with high-ranking government officials, including the President and the Minister of Economy and Finance, regardless of political affiliation, to request their cooperation. The vice governor and working-level staff also met with Ministry of Economy and Finance officials (including the Second Vice Minister, Budget Office Director, and Review Directors) about 40 times, twice a week, to actively explain the necessity of the projects.

Meanwhile, the government budget proposal for next year is scheduled to be submitted to the National Assembly on September 2. Starting in September, the province will shift to responding to the National Assembly’s review stage, making every effort to protect the secured national funding and to increase allocations for projects that were not included.

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