Mayor Jo Hyunil of Gyeongsan Highlights Urban Railway Extension and 180 Billion Won in Gyeongsan Love Gift Certificates in Municipal Address

Presentation of City Administration Direction Ahead of Next Year's Budget Review
5.6% Budget Increase Focused on "Opportunity, Value, and Stability"

On November 26, Mayor Jo Hyunil of Gyeongsan presented the city administration’s direction for the coming year during his municipal address at the 266th 2nd regular session of the Gyeongsan City Council, coinciding with the submission of the 2026 budget proposal.

Before outlining the city’s direction, Mayor Jo highlighted the major achievements of the 8th popularly elected administration, including attracting Hyundai Premium Outlet, establishing the Imdang Unicorn Park, and producing software talent through 42Gyeongsan, which he assessed as expanding the future economic map of Gyeongsan.

Mayor Jo Hyunil of Gyeongsan presenting the city's administrative direction at the Gyeongsan City Council. Provided by Gyeongsan City

He noted that the opening of the Urban Railway Line 1 Hayang extension, the opening of the Daegyeong Line, improvements to Gyeongsan IC, the establishment of the Uri Ai Bodeum Hospital, expansion of senior employment opportunities, and the creation of the Namcheon Natural Ecological Stream and Healing Forest have laid the foundation for a city where every citizen can enjoy a happy life.

He also cited the city brand renewal, the opening of the Imdang Heritage Exhibition Hall, and the launch of the Gyeongsan Cultural Tourism Foundation as efforts to establish the identity of Gyeongsan as an attractive city and to foster civic pride.

Additionally, Mayor Jo presented three key focus areas for city administration in 2026: opportunity, value, and stability, and outlined specific plans for each area.

First, in the area of "opportunity," the city aims to revitalize the local economy by accelerating the development of transportation infrastructure such as the urban railway extension, the livestock expressway, and the Gyeongsan-Ulsan Expressway, thereby strengthening industrial competitiveness and establishing a foundation for economic recovery.

Building on the attraction of Hyundai Premium Outlet, the city will promote tourism and commercial revitalization, and pursue the development of new tourism content such as the Palgongsan Ecological Exploration Center and the Sowolji Ecological Space, as well as connect regional tourism hubs to transform Gyeongsan into a stay-type tourism city.

Furthermore, leveraging the city’s competitive edge of 13 universities and 100,000 university students, Gyeongsan will strengthen youth settlement support, promote startups, and foster industry-specific talent to solidify the foundation for regional industrial growth.

Second, in the area of "value," the city will focus on enhancing the quality of life for citizens and strengthening the city’s attractiveness by expanding cultural and leisure infrastructure.

The city will expand the cultural platform functions of the Imdang Heritage Exhibition Hall and develop the soon-to-open Jungsan Library as a regional hub for knowledge and leisure.

To meet the growing demand for sports, Gyeongsan will introduce an integrated reservation system for park golf courses and baseball stadiums, modernize sports parks, and develop the Namsan Ecotopia Park Golf Course and Yongseong Gateball Field, thereby improving sports infrastructure.

The city will also expand urban relaxation spaces such as the Namcheon Natural Ecological Stream and Healing Forest, and develop the Namsan Sumpyeonhan Healing Forest and Forest Campsite as family-oriented forest recreation areas where citizens can enjoy a more leisurely daily life.

In addition, the city will establish a seasonal agricultural workforce supply system and expand customized welfare support for female farmers to improve the quality of life for those in the agricultural sector.

Furthermore, the city will accelerate improvements to the local residential environment by integrating education, care, sports, and cultural functions in national projects such as the Hwaseong Branch and Jungang Elementary School complex facilities.

Lastly, in the area of "stability," the city will prioritize the happiness and safety of citizens by strengthening welfare, safety, and daily living infrastructure.

By operating the Uri Ai Bodeum Hospital and strengthening smart learning support and protection systems for children and adolescents, the city aims to create a foundation for a city where children and mothers can be happy.

The city will also expand women-friendly city policies and lifelong learning support for people with disabilities, enhance recognition and support for national merit recipients, expand free public transportation for seniors, and promote the construction of the Jain Senior Welfare Center, thereby providing tailored support for all stages of life.

Additionally, the city will support the recovery of local businesses through special guarantees and interest subsidies for small businesses, the issuance of 180 billion won in Gyeongsan Love Gift Certificates, and the modernization of the Jain Public Market.

Gyeongsan will also enhance disaster response capabilities by introducing an AI video analysis system, operating a wildfire response center, and improving areas at risk of natural disasters, and will modernize the water supply network to provide citizens with safe and clean water 365 days a year.

The total budget for Gyeongsan City in 2026 is set at 1.4757 trillion won, an increase of 5.6% compared to the main budget for 2025, with 1.308 trillion won allocated to the general account and 167.7 billion won to the special account.

Mayor Jo stated that unnecessary and non-urgent budget items have been boldly reduced, and the submitted budget focuses on projects that citizens can truly feel, such as safety and support for the socially disadvantaged, as well as the successful completion of essential pending projects for regional development.

Mayor Jo Hyunil expressed his aspirations by saying, "As we have always done, we will wisely solve the complex issues before us with imagination, courage, and the power of our love for Gyeongsan," and added, "For a future of Gyeongsan that we can look forward to even more tomorrow, I pledge to continue communicating and cooperating with citizens without change," while calling for the unwavering support and cooperation of the city’s 280,000 citizens and city council members.

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