Shin Woo-cheol, Wando County Governor, Takes Every Second Step to Secure Next Year's National Budget

Budget Office Director of the Ministry of Economy and Finance Requests Support for Current Projects in Meeting with Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety

(Center) Shin Woo-cheol, Wando County Governor, is explaining to Yoon Jong-in, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, to secure next year's national budget. (Photo by Wando County)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Kyung-pil] Wando County, Jeonnam announced on the 13th that County Governor Shin Woo-cheol is focusing on securing next year’s national budget to promote island transportation access improvement projects such as island and land bridges.

According to the national budget schedule, it is currently the review period for next year’s budget proposals submitted by each ministry to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Accordingly, on the 9th, the county quickly visited the Ministry of Economy and Finance to request that Wando’s long-awaited projects be reflected in the government budget.

First, they met with Lim Young-jin, Director of the Transportation Budget Division, to propose that the Wando?Goheung Coastal Tourism Road be upgraded to a national highway and included in the 2nd National Road Network Comprehensive Plan.

Next, through a meeting with Kim Wi-jeong, Director of the Agriculture, Forestry and Marine Budget Division, they emphasized the necessity of the ‘2021 Wando International Seaweed Expo’ and the ‘Seaweed Bioactive Material Production Facility Construction’ projects and requested support, receiving a positive response.

In particular, they met with Ando Geol, Budget Director of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, who is usually difficult to meet during the national budget review period, to request cooperation so that Wando County’s core projects can be included in next year’s budget.

On the 10th, a meeting with Deputy Minister Yoon Jong-in of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety was scheduled at the Government Sejong Complex, but due to a sudden change in the deputy minister’s schedule, the location was changed to Seoul.

County Governor Shin Woo-cheol, after finishing his schedule in Seoul on the 9th and returning to Sejong, did not hesitate to travel back to Seoul to meet Deputy Minister Yoon Jong-in and proposed that the second phase of the ‘Gudo?Soan Island Bridge Construction Project’ be started early to realize the practical effects following the completion of the ‘Nohwa?Gudo Island Bridge Project.’

Meanwhile, at the originally scheduled meeting on the 10th with the Local Tax Division of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Wando County’s Planning and Budget Officer Jeong In-ho requested support for 1 billion KRW for the ‘Wando-eup Urban Planning Road Maintenance’ project to repair road pavement damaged by LPG pipeline facilities, and 1 billion KRW for the Wando Port Nightscape Project in preparation for the ‘2021 Wando International Seaweed Expo.’

County Governor Shin Woo-cheol said, “Although securing national funds is expected to be challenging due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, we will make great efforts to ensure that Wando’s core projects can be promoted.”

Wando County is strategically responding to secure next year’s national funds through developing logical justifications for projects and maintaining close communication with central government ministries and political circles.