Yeongdeok County's Bold Resolution: Mayor Kim Kwang-yeol Charts a New Course with Three Core Projects

Maintaining a 610 Billion Won Budget for Three Consecutive Years Amid Wildfires and Reduced Allocation Tax
Securing Growth Foundations Through Green Energy, Wellness City, and Seafood Cluster Initiatives

A new future has been declared, going beyond snow crab, the symbol of taste.

Kim Kwang-yeol, mayor of Yeongdeok County in North Gyeongsang Province, has initiated the "three core projects" that will write a new chapter in Yeongdeok's history, signaling a paradigm shift in regional development.

On December 1, at the 2nd regular session of the 318th Yeongdeok County Council, Mayor Kim requested the council's review of next year's budget, allocating 577.2 billion won for the general account and 36.4 billion won for the special account, despite difficult fiscal conditions such as a reduction in local allocation tax and the aftermath of a massive wildfire.

Kim Kwang-yeol, mayor of Yeongdeok County, is delivering a policy speech at the 2nd regular session of the 318th Yeongdeok County Council. Provided by Yeongdeok County

Yeongdeok County's budget for next year has decreased by 3.5 billion won (0.57%) compared to this year. However, the county has managed to maintain a budget in the 610 billion won range for three consecutive years since 2024, despite the need for large-scale spending on wildfire response and the ongoing trend of declining local allocation tax.

The 8th popularly elected administration of Yeongdeok County, which began with a budget in the 510 billion won range at the start of Mayor Kim's term, has increased the budget to 617.1 billion won this year, thanks to successful project bids, securing national investment funds, and attracting investments.

However, this year, a general decrease in local allocation tax due to reduced national tax revenue, combined with the confirmation of 416.8 billion won in recovery costs following the wildfire in North Gyeongsang Province at the end of March (with the county's share alone amounting to 83.3 billion won), has placed significant pressure on the county's finances.

In response, Yeongdeok County has minimized fiscal gaps by utilizing the fiscal stabilization fund, implementing intensive expenditure restructuring, and securing project bids and national investment funds. The county has also improved budget efficiency and soundness by minimizing habitual administrative expenses and prioritizing spending on stabilizing residents' livelihoods and revitalizing the local economy.

Based on these efforts, Mayor Kim presented the "Three Future Leap Projects," which will gather the hopes and aspirations of county residents and serve as a new growth strategy leveraging Yeongdeok's unique strengths to strengthen the region's industrial base, which had temporarily stagnated due to the wildfire.

First, the Green Energy Project aims to reorganize the renewable energy industry into a resident-centered system and establish a structure that shares wind and solar power profits with local residents. Yeongdeok County plans to establish the "Wind Pension" and "Sunlight Pension" models to provide a stable alternative income base for rural and fishing communities and to complete a circular energy economy.

Second, the Wellness City Yeongdeok Project is a high value-added strategy that expands tourism into healing, industry, and integrated content. Building on Yeongdeok County's wellness resources as the first certified K-Wellness City in North Gyeongsang Province, the county plans to advance infrastructure and expand collaboration between academia and industry to foster a globally competitive future industry.

Third, the project to create the nation's largest seafood cluster will invest a total of 135.8 billion won in the Ganggu Port area, connecting major projects such as the Gyeongbuk Smart Seafood Processing Complex (39.3 billion won), the Ganggu Port Fishing Village New Vitality Project (30 billion won), the Second Lohas Specialized Agro-Industrial Complex (15.2 billion won), and the construction of the Ganggu Offshore Bridge (51.3 billion won). By involving businesses, universities, and research institutes, the county aims to create a seafood industry ecosystem that will drive a major transformation in the industrial structure.

With these three core projects, Yeongdeok County has designated next year as the first year of its leap into the future and adopted "Hopeful Yeongdeok Created Together with Residents" as its central vision. The county plans to focus on key policy directions such as rebuilding wildfire-affected areas, creating a vibrant local economy, developing Yeongdeok as a tourist city that attracts people, providing welfare for all generations, creating an educational environment for future generations, and establishing a safe and sustainable rural and fishing community.

Mayor Kim Kwang-yeol stated, "We will steadfastly pursue the three strategic projects that will shape Yeongdeok's next 100 years according to a mid- to long-term roadmap," adding, "Together with the residents, we will overcome crises and leap toward a new future."

He continued, "The budget has been prepared through responsible fiscal management, balancing the dual goals of stabilizing residents' livelihoods and building a foundation for future growth. Even amid the crises of massive wildfires and reduced allocation tax, we will strategically allocate limited resources to boost the local economy and make Yeongdeok a place where all residents can be happy."

Yeongdeok County's main budget for 2026 will be finalized at the regular session of the county council on December 15, following council deliberation.

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