Heo Seong-gon, Mayor of Gimhae, Announces 2022 Administrative Direction

Next Year's Budget Increased by 68.5 Billion Won to 1.9729 Trillion Won

Enhancing Citizens' Quality of Life through Honest and Transparent City Administration

Heo Seong-gon, Mayor of Gimhae, Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] On the 22nd, Heo Seong-gon, mayor of Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province, presented the direction for next year’s city administration at the 2nd regular meeting of the 241st Gimhae City Council.

Mayor Heo first expressed his gratitude to the citizens, small business owners, and self-employed who trusted the city administration and cooperated with quarantine measures during the past two years of losing ordinary daily life due to COVID-19, and expressed his ambition to allow them to feel safe and focus on their daily lives.

Referring to achievements such as attracting the National Gaya History and Culture Center, designation of the Bio-Life Science Small and Medium Research and Development Special Zone, attracting NHN Gimhae Data & R&D Center, and early achievement of the goal of 100,000 jobs, the mayor emphasized the need to work even more actively for sustainable development.

In 2022, Gimhae City plans to focus on stabilizing the livelihood economy, realizing carbon neutrality, resolving regional imbalances, and revitalizing the cultural city under the goal of “Preparing for the Future, Gimhae’s New Leap.”

The city selected six tasks: revitalizing the neighborhood economy, establishing a foundation for future industries, strengthening the status of a legally designated cultural city and expanding cultural and sports infrastructure, practicing carbon neutrality in response to the climate crisis, creating a welfare city enjoyed without discrimination, promoting urban growth policies preparing for the future, and transparent and trustworthy city administration.

The city plans to prioritize “revitalizing the neighborhood economy” to create a virtuous cycle structure where the local economy recovers and leads to new employment.

By building a youth-centered local industry ecosystem, the city will expand support for the Gimhae Love Gift Certificate and small business promotion funds, and open a small business SME distribution logistics center to strengthen the economic independence and market competitiveness of small business owners.

Regarding future industries such as the medical and life sciences industry, the city plans to focus on nurturing five future industries?future automobiles, smart centers, advanced logistics, and hydrogen industry?as regional future growth engines.

This year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s designated legally recognized cultural city project will be launched with the vision of “A Historical and Cultural City Dreaming of an Old Future.”

The city will establish the National Gaya History and Culture Center, carry out the museum city project to lay the cultural foundation, and develop new cultural contents such as the creative operas “Queen Heo” and the webtoon “The Secret of Suro.”

In preparation for hosting the National Sports Festival, the city will focus on the construction of the main stadium and expand living sports infrastructure such as the Jinyeong Sports Center and Hwalcheon-dong Gymnasium.

In response to the climate crisis, the city will fulfill its role as an eco-friendly city through projects such as the modernization of resource circulation facilities including the Hwapo Stream Wetland Management Center and public livestock manure treatment facilities.

To prepare for a low birthrate and aging society, the city will implement customized support policies from childbirth to childcare and care, and carry out welfare policies encompassing all generations, embracing socially vulnerable groups including youth, elderly, women, disabled, and multicultural families.

Mayor Heo stated that the city will steadily promote urban regeneration New Deal projects that enhance the city’s value and competitiveness, as well as “rural agreement pilot projects” and “rural regeneration New Deal projects” to resolve the gap in living infrastructure between urban and rural areas.

The city will also proceed with the construction of the wide-area road between Chojung and Hwamyung, the Bi-eum Mountain tunnel, and efforts to attract relocated public institutions and public medical institutions.

The city has prepared a budget for next year’s city administration of 1.9729 trillion won, an increase of 68.5 billion won compared to this year.

Mayor Heo said, “As a city ranked first in Gyeongnam Province in last year’s Integrity Evaluation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, we will create a transparent and flexible society next year as well,” and added, “I will do my best to operate the city with the heart of planting a large beautiful tree that allows people to rest comfortably in the shade called Gimhae.”