Gimpo City Allocates 966.7 Billion Won for 2026 National and Provincial Subsidy Projects... Focus on Gold Line Expansion and Citizen Safety Network

Gimpo City Submits 1.77 Trillion Won Budget Proposal for 2026
From Urban Rail Expansion to Northern Region Safety Support
Focus on Expanding Social Welfare and Transportation Infrastructure to Enhance Quality of Life

Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province has submitted a total budget proposal of 1.7734 trillion won to the city council for its 2026 fiscal operations. Of this amount, national and provincial subsidies secured from the central government and Gyeonggi Province, along with city-matching projects, account for 1,392 cases totaling 966.7 billion won, representing 54.5% of the entire budget, the city announced on December 8.

Gimpo City Hall exterior. Provided by Gimpo City

Specifically, national subsidy projects comprise 775 cases amounting to 786.8 billion won, while provincial subsidy projects account for 617 cases totaling 179.9 billion won. To fund these, the city has secured 525.5 billion won in national funds and 141.3 billion won in provincial funds, with an additional 299.9 billion won invested from city funds.

In preparing the 2026 main budget, Gimpo City focused its strategy on securing national funds for key issues directly impacting citizens’ daily lives, incorporating a diverse range of projects.

In particular, the social welfare sector accounts for 67% of all national and provincial subsidy projects, making up the largest share, and the budget is assessed as being focused on improving living conditions for citizens. This is followed by water and sewage at 9.6%, transportation and logistics at 7.6%, and agriculture, forestry, marine, and fisheries at 3.7%.

Major projects include: ▲ Temporary support for additional urban railway trains (total project cost: 9.83 billion won) ▲ Sau-dong New Village Project (total project cost: 1.44 billion won) ▲ Support for residents affected by North Korean propaganda broadcasts (1.436 billion won) ▲ Creation of a pet-friendly riverside cultural space (total project cost: 1 billion won) ▲ Coastal and riverside boundary fence removal project (total project cost: 1.74 billion won) ▲ Ponae District surface water reinforcement and development project (total project cost: 2.5 billion won) ▲ Hasong-myeon civil-military border area village infrastructure improvement project (total project cost: 1.5 billion won).

With secured national funding, the city plans to manufacture and deploy five additional train sets for the Gimpo Gold Line by the end of 2026. If these five train sets are added, the train interval during rush hours will be reduced to 2 minutes and 10 seconds, and congestion rates are also expected to decrease.

The Sau-dong New Village Urban Regeneration Project, selected through a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport public contest and currently underway with a total scale of 25 billion won, aims to significantly improve residents’ quality of life by gradually implementing housing renovations, shared-use facilities, and living infrastructure to enhance the residential environment of aging neighborhoods.

The support project for residents affected by North Korean propaganda broadcasts is a newly established initiative to assist residents in border areas who suffer from noise damage caused by such broadcasts. In accordance with government guidelines, compensation will be provided based on the level of noise impact.

The pet-friendly riverside cultural space project, selected through a Gyeonggi Province public contest, will create a pet-themed river landscape, walking trails, rest areas, and pet playgrounds along the Gamaji Stream in Gurae-dong. This aims to establish a community-oriented cultural space for both citizens and their pets, fostering a new river culture that incorporates pet-friendly lifestyles.

The Han River boundary fence removal project, the Ponae District surface water reinforcement and development project, and the civil-military border area village infrastructure improvement project have all been selected as new projects for the 2026 Special Situation Area Development Program. These initiatives are being continuously pursued to promote balanced development in the northern region of Gimpo City.

The Han River boundary fence removal project, as part of the broader coastal and riverside boundary fence removal initiative, aims to open up riverfront areas that have been restricted for military reasons for decades. In October, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with the military for the opening of Baengmado Island and the removal of fences along the Han River and Yeomha section. The removal of the Han River fence (from Baengmado Island to Gimpo Bridge) and the creation of recreational spaces on Baengmado Island are expected to proceed rapidly.

The Ponae District surface water reinforcement and development project and the civil-military border area village infrastructure improvement project are designed to establish an efficient drainage system in the flood-prone Ponae District of Wolgot-myeon, as well as to repair drainage channels and repave roads in Hasong-myeon. These efforts are expected to greatly enhance resident safety and disaster prevention.

Going forward, the city plans to further strengthen its system for securing national and provincial funding, expand welfare service supply chains, provide tailored living SOC (social overhead capital) for vulnerable groups and border areas, and simultaneously reinforce both living and transportation welfare to fortify the safety net for citizens. In addition, the city will continue to improve the living infrastructure in both the old downtown and rural areas, and expand future transportation infrastructure to create a living environment that citizens can tangibly experience in their daily lives.

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