662.6 Billion Won Saemangeum Budget, 514.7 Billion Won Cut
Jeonbuk Province "Making Every Effort to Revive Saemangeum Budget"
Concerns that the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree fiasco would lead to a reduction in national budget allocation for the Jeonbuk region have become a reality. The Saemangeum-related budget was cut by more than 500 billion won during the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's review stage, making disruptions to Jeollabuk-do's project operations for the next year inevitable.
World Scout Jamboree participants are preparing to depart at Incheon International Airport on the 12th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
According to Jeollabuk-do on the 29th, out of the 660 trillion won scale of the next year's government budget announced that day, 7.9215 trillion won was allocated to Jeonbuk. This is 387 billion won (4.7%) less than this year's main budget (8.3085 trillion won).
The amount reflected by ministries for major projects related to Saemangeum development was 662.6 billion won, but 514.7 billion won was cut during the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's review process, leaving only 147.9 billion won, or 22%, included in the budget proposal.
The Saemangeum Port railway construction (10 billion won), Saemangeum environmental ecological land phase 2-1 (6.2 billion won), Saemangeum arterial road construction (1 billion won), and Saemangeum environmental ecological land phase 2-2 development (950 million won) projects were fully cut during the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's review.
The Saemangeum?Jeonju expressway budget was reduced from 119.1 billion won to 33.4 billion won (28% reflection rate), Saemangeum International Airport from 58 billion won to 6.6 billion won (11% reflection rate), Saemangeum regional connecting roads from 90.8 billion won to 1.1 billion won, Saemangeum New Port from 167.7 billion won to 43.8 billion won (26% reflection rate), and internal development of the Saemangeum district from 222.8 billion won to 56.5 billion won (25% reflection rate).
Jeollabuk-do expressed regret, stating, “The unexpected variable of the Jamboree fiasco has adversely affected the Saemangeum social overhead capital (SOC) budget unfairly.”
Jeon Sang-gyu, Vice Governor of Jeonbuk Province, is explaining the government budget plan that passed the Cabinet meeting on the 29th at the Jeonbuk Provincial Government press room. [Photo by Jeonbuk Province]
Lim Sang-gyu, Deputy Governor of Jeollabuk-do, also strongly protested the situation, calling it an “unprecedented event in budget formulation history” and a “budget turmoil.”
Deputy Governor Lim said, “I am deeply concerned that the Saemangeum engine, which has just started to run, might stop due to this budget turmoil,” and added, “Together with the local political circles and cities and counties, we will definitely restore the Saemangeum budget, which is a growth engine of the Republic of Korea.”
He also stated that they will make every effort to thoroughly respond by reviving and recovering the Saemangeum budget unfairly cut during the National Assembly budget review stage.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, who is currently on a 2-day, 1-night schedule in Jeonbuk, said that a struggle at the level of the Democratic Party of Korea is necessary regarding this issue. Meeting with reporters at the Jeonbuk Provincial Council that day, former Prime Minister Lee said, “Cutting 75% and leaving only 25% is not just a cut. This is unprecedented in the practices of economic and budget ministries. We must fight in this extraordinary situation.”
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