Park Hong-ryul, Mayor of Mokpo, Makes Every Effort to Secure National Funding for Mokpo's Development

Frequent Visits to Central Government Ministries for Securing Next Year's National Budget

Proposal to Reflect in Government Budget for Smooth Progress of Key Current Projects

Park Hong-ryul, mayor of Mokpo, is making every effort to secure national funding to prepare for Mokpo's future in 2025.

According to the city on the 31st, Mayor Park recently visited the Ministry of Strategy and Finance consecutively to secure national funding for major pending projects in 2025 aimed at transforming Mokpo into a "Hopeful Leap, a Great Mokpo that Youth Seek."

Mayor Park has frequently visited central government agencies such as the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the National Assembly twice in June and again on the 3rd of this month. On the 30th, he met with Han Soon-gi, Director General of Local Finance and Economy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, to propose improvements to the general grant tax system, and also visited budget departments including Jo Gyu-san, Director of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Marine Budget Division at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, to secure government budget proposals for Mokpo’s major pending projects in 2025.

Since the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s review will continue until August, Mayor Park visited the budget department to explain the importance and expected effects of the pending projects and once again emphasized the necessity of government financial support.

(The second from the left) Park Hong-ryul, Mayor of Mokpo City, is meeting with Jo Gyu-san, Director of the Agriculture, Forestry and Maritime Budget Division at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, to request national funding support for current projects.
[Photo by Mokpo City]

The pending projects proposed by Mayor Park include △ Relocation of railway facilities at Mokpo Station △ Improvement of aging station facilities at Mokpo Station △ K-Island-Multi Complex development project △ Creation of a complex cultural space at the former Fisheries Cooperative Wholesale Market △ Designation of Sapjin Port in Mokpo as a national fishing port and basic survey design △ Support for equipment operation at the International Dried Seaweed Exchange △ Establishment of an operational foundation for a specialized seaweed industry institution. Additionally, he proposed improvements to the social welfare childbirth encouragement section, which is a measurement item for the general grant tax.

The relocation of railway facilities at Mokpo Station project requests funding for detailed design services to support maintenance and expansion of railway operation facilities in response to the significant increase in train demand visiting Mokpo, one of South Korea’s four major tourism hub cities. The improvement project for aging station facilities at Mokpo Station requested inclusion of design fees following the selection of the project design competition winner.

The K-Island-Multi Complex development project aims to transform the Korea Island Promotion Institute, a national research institute specializing in islands located in Sanjeong-dong, Mokpo, into a complex cultural space with exhibition halls, experience centers, and promotional facilities. Funding for feasibility study services was requested.

The former Fisheries Cooperative Wholesale Market complex cultural space project is intended to prevent decline following the Fisheries Cooperative’s relocation to the North Port and to restore the local commercial district by expanding infrastructure. Considering the difficulty in attracting private capital, the project proposed advancing a small-scale port regeneration project with national funding.

The designation of Sapjin Port in Mokpo as a national fishing port and the basic survey design project is aimed at developing Sapjin Port, where ship demand is increasing. The city requested inclusion of design fees.

The International Dried Seaweed Exchange equipment support project focuses on strengthening the exchange’s role and supporting grading infrastructure in line with the opening of the dried seaweed exchange, enabling it to serve as the nation’s largest dried seaweed trading hub.

The establishment of an operational foundation for a specialized seaweed industry institution project supports the Fisheries Food Support Center, a specialized seaweed industry institution, based on product development to accelerate export momentum and secure national competitiveness through seaweed industry support.

Mayor Park Hong-ryul stated, “Mokpo’s pending projects are essential not only locally but also at the national level, and they are highly effective projects. At this critical time when the government budget is being finalized, I visited the Ministry of Strategy and Finance once again to request smooth progress. Moving forward, I will continue to maintain vigilance and do my best to secure national funding until the National Assembly’s review period.”

Meanwhile, the 2025 government budget proposal will undergo review by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance until the end of August, be submitted to the National Assembly in early September, and be finally approved in December through the National Assembly’s review and resolution.