Samcheok City Drafts 784.5 Billion Won Main Budget for 2026... Investment in 'A City Where People Want to Live'

An Increase of 56.5 Billion Won (7.8%) Compared to Last Year’s Main Budget of 728 Billion Won

Samcheok City in Gangwon Province (Mayor Park Sangsoo) has drafted a main budget proposal for 2026 totaling 784.5 billion won, an increase of 56.5 billion won (7.8%) compared to the 2025 main budget, and submitted it to the city council on November 20.

Panoramic view of Samcheok City Hall.

By accounting category, the general account increased by 55.8 billion won to 741.3 billion won, while the special account increased by 700 million won to 43.2 billion won. The core principles of the budget are: securing future growth engines, improving citizen-oriented welfare, living environment, and residential conditions, and maintaining fiscal soundness.

Major expenditures by sector include: 208.2 billion won (26.5%) for health and welfare support by demographic group, such as the construction of a new Senior Club, completion of the Childcare Support Center, and the introduction of a new subsidy for senior hairdressing expenses; 99.9 billion won (12.7%) for agriculture, forestry, marine, and fisheries; 47.8 billion won (6.1%) for industrial and economic development, such as the construction of a public rental knowledge industry center, establishment of a CCUS Promotion Center, development of a hydrogen-specialized general industrial complex, creation of a hydrogen ecosystem, and operation of local gift certificates; 36 billion won (4.6%) for transportation infrastructure, including the construction of the Jawon~Uji Road and the expansion of the Madal Hyejin Apartment~National Road No. 7 urban planning road; 77.1 billion won (9.8%) for national land and regional development, including the development of abandoned mine areas, urban regeneration, and construction of public rental housing to improve local residential conditions; 32.9 billion won (4.2%) for culture and tourism, such as the restoration of the Jukseoru Dohobu Government Office; and 28.9 billion won (3.7%) will be invested to boost the local economy by expanding public sports facilities, including swimming pools and the Bandabi Sports Center.

On November 21, the city implemented its third supplementary budget for the year, focusing on restructuring expenditures by adjusting budgets for low-performing projects and reducing operating expenses to mitigate the impact of reduced tax revenue. Based on these measures, the city aims to stably maintain essential public services and expand investment in projects that lay the foundation for future growth.

Mayor Park Sangsoo stated, "The 2026 budget is an 'action budget' designed to foster Samcheok's future growth engines and address the inconveniences citizens experience in their daily lives one by one. Since fiscal soundness and efficiency are the fundamentals of finance, we will minimize unnecessary spending and boldly invest where it is truly needed so that all citizens can feel the changes."

Meanwhile, Samcheok City's 2026 budget proposal is scheduled to be finalized on December 18 after review by the Samcheok City Council.

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