Governor Lee Sanggeun of Goseong: "A Resilient City and a City of Happiness for Citizens ... Strengthening Future Competitiveness"

Presenting Next Year’s Administrative Direction Through Policy Speech

"In 2026, we will focus on building a resilient city for future competitiveness and a city of happiness for our citizens as the core pillars of our administration."

Lee Sanggeun, Governor of Goseong County, Gyeongnam, made this pledge during his policy speech at the county council on December 8.

Governor Lee submitted the 2026 budget proposal, totaling 713.9 billion won, at the 306th 2nd regular session of the Goseong County Council, presenting the direction for next year's county administration and five key strategic initiatives.

Lee Sanggeun, Governor of Goseong County, Gyeongnam, is delivering the policy speech for the next year at the county council.

Governor Lee stated, "To ensure sustainable regional development in response to demographic changes such as declining birth rates and an aging population, as well as unexpected disasters, we will pursue a resilient city and a city of happiness for our citizens." He outlined the five key strategies as follows: strengthening the welfare and safety net for citizens with administrative accountability; driving Goseong's growth as a transportation hub and economic investment center; establishing Goseong as the leading marine tourism city in Korea; creating a city where people want to continue living through the development of cultural, educational, and sports infrastructure; and revitalizing rural areas through rural regeneration projects.

◆ Strengthening the Welfare and Safety Net for Citizens with Administrative Accountability

The county plans to enhance income stability by increasing support for agricultural and fisheries subsidies and veterans' honor allowances, and to strengthen citizen welfare by doubling childbirth incentives and providing the highest level of paternity leave grants in the province. Additionally, comprehensive disaster prevention projects such as the Byeongsan District Flood Risk Management Project, natural disaster risk area improvement projects, and sewer system upgrades for flood prevention will be implemented to establish a systematic disaster response environment and build a reliable safety net for residents.

◆ Driving Goseong's Growth as a Transportation Hub and Economic Investment Center

With KTX Goseong Station set to become a future transportation hub, the county will launch the Sports Healing Town regional development project in earnest, establish an integrated transfer center linked to the KTX station, and create a Sports-cation Center, a Youth Startup Support Center, and customized smart residential complexes to drive growth as a smart residential city.

Additionally, by attracting companies to the Bongam General Industrial Complex and designating new smart general industrial complexes, the county will promote economic investment, create jobs, and revitalize the local economy.

◆ Establishing Goseong as the Leading Marine Tourism City in Korea

The county plans to open the Jaran Island Marine Healing Center, a wellness space for health and healing, and improve convenience and accessibility by building facilities for marine taxis and ensuring the smooth construction of the marine pedestrian bridge, transforming Jaran Island into a major tourist destination.

By developing the Marine Healing Trail, establishing the Impo Port Food Village, and implementing the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's T-UAM pilot project, the county will lead the way in large-scale tourism along the southern coast through the Jaran Tourism Bay development project.

For the Heart Island Jaran Island tourist area, the county will actively attract private investment for accommodation and resort facilities, aiming to develop it into a leading marine tourism destination in Korea.

◆ Creating a City Where People Want to Continue Living Through Cultural, Educational, and Sports Infrastructure

The county will build the Goseong Culture and Arts Village Exhibition Hall to support artists' creative activities and provide exhibition spaces, and plans to host the 2026 World Heritage Festival utilizing the Songhakdong Ancient Tombs World Heritage site.

By opening a lifelong learning center, the county will provide customized education for residents through training for care professionals and associate degree programs, and will foster park golf as a sustainable representative sport by establishing park golf courses in five regions.

Additionally, the construction of an integrated health management support center will enhance convenience in health management for residents through remote consultations and home medical support rooms. The county also plans to improve living conditions by expanding city gas supply in the Dangdong area, extending the water supply system, and developing drinking water sources for island regions.

◆ Revitalizing Rural Areas Through Rural Regeneration Projects

The county will address odor issues from abandoned livestock facilities through rural space improvement projects and establish return-to-farming and return-to-village support complexes in renovated areas, creating integrated complexes that combine housing, community, and employment.

To reduce labor and improve productivity, the county will establish Goseong-style smart agricultural production complexes and expand the number of partner countries for foreign seasonal workers from one to two, solidifying the foundation for introducing public seasonal workers.

Through the clean fishing ground regeneration project and the Fisheries Vitalization Project, which has been selected for four consecutive years, the county will continue to improve the fishing ground environment and strengthen the foundation for the growth of the fishing village economy.

Governor Lee Sanggeun stated, "The 2026 budget focuses on the stable completion of major county projects, essential welfare budgets for vulnerable groups, strengthening the social safety net, and disaster prevention. Through active efforts to secure external funding, we have surpassed the 700 billion won mark in the initial budget for the first time." He added, "We will do our utmost to create a new Goseong that fulfills the hopes of our citizens."

Meanwhile, Goseong County has submitted its 2026 initial budget proposal of 713.9 billion won to the county council, marking the largest amount of national and provincial funding secured for two consecutive years.

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