Kim Hakhong, Deputy Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, Works Hard to Secure National Budget During Visit to Ministry of Economy and Finance

On the 6th, North Gyeongsang Province met with Kim Dongil, Director of Budget at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as the respective deputy directors in charge, to explain the province's key projects for 2025 and strongly requested that they be included in next year's government budget proposal.

This visit was arranged at a critical time when the Ministry of Economy and Finance's review of next year's government budget proposal is nearing its final stages. The purpose was to emphasize the need for additional inclusion of major pending projects that were either partially included or omitted from the government proposal, ensuring they are reflected during the review process.

Kim Hakhong, Deputy Governor of Gyeongbuk Province (center), and Choi Hyunho, Special Advisor on Finance of Gyeongbuk Province (right), are meeting Kim Dongil, Budget Officer of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, to request national funding support for the successful hosting of the Gyeongju APEC Summit.

During the meeting, Kim Hakhong, Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs of North Gyeongsang Province, explained major pending projects such as the successful hosting of the APEC Summit, the establishment of a specialized care and education integration center for industrial complexes, the construction of a deep-sea marine bio-bank, the Yeongilman crossing section expressway, the Southern Inland Railway, and the expansion of National Road 7 to six lanes between Oedong and the Ulsan city boundary, and requested active support.

Regarding the APEC Summit, he explained the urgency and importance of upgrading infrastructure such as conference facilities, accommodation, and transportation to ensure the event is managed with the dignity befitting a major international occasion, and requested the government's active interest and full financial support for the successful hosting of APEC.

Kim Hakhong further emphasized the importance of government funding for the construction of the specialized care and education integration center for industrial complexes, which will serve as a key measure to overcome low birth rates in North Gyeongsang and a significant milestone by providing comprehensive care spaces for workers in industrial and corporate clusters. He also highlighted the necessity of support for the establishment of a deep-sea marine bio-bank, which will serve as an industrialization bridgehead for deep-sea biological resources, leveraging the region's abundant bio-infrastructure along the East Coast.

In addition, he urged the prompt inclusion of government funding and the establishment of basic plans for local SOC projects, such as the Yeongilman crossing section expressway (Yeongdeok to Pohang), which is gaining momentum following a recent feasibility review by the Korea Development Institute (KDI); the Southern Inland Railway (Gimcheon to Geoje), a core railway network contributing to balanced regional development between the capital area and the central and southern inland regions; and the expansion of National Road 7 to six lanes between Oedong and the Ulsan city boundary, a key measure to alleviate chronic congestion in Gyeongju due to heavy industrial traffic.

Kim Hakhong stated, "These projects are not only necessary and highly effective for the region but also at the national level. We will remain vigilant and do our utmost to secure government funding until the final confirmation of the government proposal."

Meanwhile, the 2025 government budget proposal will undergo review by the Ministry of Economy and Finance until the end of August and will be submitted to the National Assembly in early September.