[The Budget War Begins] Why Are Senior Budget Officials Making Consecutive Trips to Honam?

Following the Director of Budget, the General Review Officer
Consecutive Visits to Solarsido and Anjwa Sollacity
Unprecedented Moves Amid Announcement of 50 Trillion Won Expenditure Restructuring

Key officials from the Ministry of Planning and Budget, responsible for drafting the blueprint of next year's national budget estimated at 800 trillion won, made consecutive visits to the Honam region within just a six-day interval. In a situation where the Lee Jaemyung administration has signaled an unprecedented, high-intensity expenditure restructuring totaling 50 trillion won, such concentrated attention to a specific region by two senior officials directly overseeing the budget process is considered highly unusual.

On May 6, Jo Yongbeom, Director of Budget at the Ministry of Planning and Budget, visited the Solarsido site in Haenam, Jeonnam Province, and the HD Hyundai Samho Shipyard to inspect the construction of the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computing Center and the shipbuilding industry’s AI transformation (AX) site. After touring the Solarsido site, Director Jo pledged, “We will actively consider support to ensure the smooth establishment of infrastructure and will faithfully play the role of priming the pump for private investment.”

In conjunction with Director Jo’s visit, Jeonnam Province requested budget cooperation for the “Solarsido Solar Power Complex Joint Connection Facility Construction” project. They asked for 49.3 billion won in national funding to be included in next year’s budget out of a total project cost of 1.1943 trillion won, and also requested exemption from the preliminary feasibility study. Other major proposals for national funding included the “AI Autonomous Shipyard Innovation Hub” project, demonstration projects for establishing an Arctic route at Yeosu-Gwangyang Port, the construction of the Yeongam-Gwangju superhighway, and the operation of a retirement pension system for rice farmers.

Just six days later, on May 12, Park Changhwan, Budget General Review Officer at the Ministry of Planning and Budget, visited the Anjwa Sollacity site in Sinan, Jeonnam Province, as well as future mobility and AI sites in Gwangju Metropolitan City. Park previously served as Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of Jeonnam Province. During this visit, he reportedly pledged, “Next year as well, we will continue to expand investment in energy transition areas such as solar power and offshore wind.” When visiting Gwangju’s future mobility and AI sites, Park stated, “Jeonnam’s solar power and Gwangju’s future mobility and AI sectors form an important foundation for the region to independently design its own growth strategies,” and added, “We will thoroughly review the feedback raised at these sites in cooperation with relevant ministries and local governments during the process of drafting next year’s budget proposal.”

The Ministry explained that this series of visits is part of the “The 100 Field Listening Project” aimed at gathering on-site voices. However, some local governments point out that, ahead of local elections, fierce competition for national funding is intensifying. There are claims that heavyweight metropolitan mayors are inviting budget officials or targeting budget authorities who previously served as local deputy governors, leveraging local ties to secure central government funds.