Association of Provincial Council Chairpersons Adopts Gangwon's Proposal for Expanded Special Account Budget Support for Regional Balanced Development

Proposal to Expand Special Account Budget Support for Regional Balanced Development Following Additional Designation of Border Areas
Proposal Submitted by Chairman Kim Siseong Adopted at the 5th Extraordinary Meeting of the Association of Provincial Council Chairpersons

The Gangwon Provincial Council Special Self-Governing Province (Chairman Kim Siseong) announced on September 23 that it submitted a proposal to expand budget support from the Special Account for Regional Balanced Development, in response to the additional designation of border areas, at the meeting of the Association of Provincial Council Chairpersons held at Samcheonggak in Seoul. The proposal was adopted with the empathy and support of council chairpersons from across the country.

The 5th Extraordinary Meeting of the Association of Provincial Council Chairpersons. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Council

This proposal was prepared out of concern that, with Sokcho City and Gapyeong County recently being newly designated as border areas, the budget that had been allocated to existing border regions could be reduced.

Gangwon Province has the largest number of border areas whose development has stagnated due to various regulations, such as military facility protection zones for national security. In 2025, the national budget allocated to border areas is 73.5 billion won. If this budget, which had previously provided an average of about 12.2 billion won to each of the six existing cities and counties, is further dispersed, it will inevitably have a direct impact on the lives of residents.

Accordingly, the Gangwon Provincial Council Special Self-Governing Province strongly called for a sufficient increase in the Special Account for Regional Balanced Development budget, as well as the establishment of a separate "Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Account" within the Special Account for Regional Balanced Development, as stipulated in the Gangwon Special Act, to ensure independent and stable financial support.

Kim Siseong, Chairman of the Gangwon Provincial Council Special Self-Governing Province, emphasized, "Residents of border areas have sacrificed for national security for a long time. Now that the border area has been expanded, corresponding financial support must follow. I will do my utmost to ensure that this proposal, adopted with the support of council chairpersons nationwide, is swiftly reflected in government policy."

The Gangwon Provincial Council Special Self-Governing Province plans to continue working closely with central government ministries and making ongoing efforts to ensure that the aspirations of border area residents, embodied in this proposal, are substantively reflected in policy.

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