Chuncheon City Draws Up Record-High 1.704 Trillion Won Budget Proposal for 2026

National Funding Boost Drives 61 Billion Won Increase Over Previous Year
Fiscal Capacity Focused on Livelihood Stability, Warm Community Care, and Future Growth Investment
Budget Proposal to Be Finalized on December 19 After Deliberation Startin

Chuncheon City in Gangwon Province (Mayor Yuk Donghan) has drawn up its initial budget plan for 2026 at a record high of 1.704 trillion won and submitted it to the city council on November 21. This represents an increase of 61 billion won (3.7%) compared to the previous year’s 1.643 trillion won.

Chuncheon City Hall exterior view.

The general account stands at 1.5031 trillion won, up 84.8 billion won from this year, while the special accounts have decreased by 23.8 billion won to 200.9 billion won.

The city stated that, while maintaining its consistent policy of a debt-free budget and sound fiscal management since the launch of the 8th popularly elected administration, it has also incorporated a strong commitment to investing in regional economic growth and the city’s future into next year’s main budget.

As a result of its efforts to secure government funding, the city has reflected 540.6 billion won in national funds in the main budget, an increase of 41.4 billion won from this year. Taking into account future supplementary budgets, the total amount of national funds in 2026 is expected to exceed the targeted 600 billion won. This marks a significant increase from the 400 billion won range prior to the launch of the 8th administration.

On the other hand, provincial funding has decreased by 14.5 billion won compared to the initial amount this year, raising concerns that some key projects may inevitably face setbacks as a result.

The main focus of the 2026 budget plan is on stabilizing livelihoods and fostering a warm community. In this regard, the city has allocated 3.8 billion won for Chuncheon Love Gift Certificates, 3.1 billion won for small and medium-sized enterprise development support, 1.3 billion won for revitalizing traditional markets, 34.8 billion won for senior employment and social activity support, 22.9 billion won for support for people with disabilities, and 6.7 billion won for childcare support, among others.

Investments in key city priorities and future growth engines have also been strengthened.

To foster global talent and establish Chuncheon as an educational city, the city has allocated 200 million won for the Great Books program, 5.6 billion won for educational expense subsidies, and 2.4 billion won for university competency enhancement support, including the RISE project, thereby supporting the educational ecosystem.

To nurture advanced industries such as bio and AI, the city has earmarked 1.8 billion won for bio-company development, 1.3 billion won for building a digital lab-on-a-chip commercialization platform, and 4 billion won for AI-based administration and industry development, thus laying the foundation for future growth industries.

The budget for agriculture, the backbone of Chuncheon, continues to increase annually, with a 3.1% rise planned for next year. Allocations include 8.2 billion won for the basic public direct payment program, 3.5 billion won for half-price agricultural material support, 12 billion won for eco-friendly school meal support, and 1.3 billion won for establishing a food tech research support center.

To build on the success of the Makguksu Dakgalbi Festival, which was transformed into a new culinary festival this year, the city has also allocated 2.5 billion won to host a variety of local traditional festivals, including the Makguksu Dakgalbi Festival.

The city has not neglected investments to fulfill its promises to citizens. Key projects being actively pursued include 7.6 billion won for the construction of the World Taekwondo Federation headquarters, 2.3 billion won for the Lakeside Regional Garden, 7 billion won for the relocation and new construction of the public health center, 1.5 billion won for the creation of an urban regeneration innovation district, and 11.7 billion won for improving the environment of aging industrial complexes.

The budget bill will be finalized on December 19 after review at the 346th temporary session of the Chuncheon City Council, which begins on December 4.

Mayor Yuk Donghan stated, "Despite challenging financial conditions, we have carefully managed next year’s large-scale finances to maintain fiscal soundness while investing in citizen happiness and our future vision. We will continue to work even harder so that the achievements of our administration since the launch of the 8th popularly elected government will translate into greater happiness for our citizens."

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