Gangbuk-gu Allocates 945.5 Billion KRW Budget for 2025... Focus on Improving Residents' Lives

Local Allocation Tax Decrease Results in Only 3.35% Increase Compared to This Year

Seoul Gangbuk-gu (District Mayor Lee Soon-hee) has drafted the 2025 budget at a scale of 945.5 billion KRW. This represents a 3.35% (30.6 billion KRW) increase compared to this year.

The increase in the general account was limited to 1.95%, which is much lower than last year's 3.16%. Gangbuk-gu stated that it faced many difficulties in drafting the budget due to a decrease in local allocation tax and a shortage of its own financial resources.

View of Gangbuk District Office. Provided by Gangbuk District Office.

Despite the difficult financial conditions, the district focused on projects closely related to residents' lives, such as revitalizing the local economy, customized welfare responding to demographic changes, improving residential environments, and strengthening safety.

The 2025 budget consists of 924 billion KRW in the general account and 21.5 billion KRW in the special account. By sector, the social welfare budget is 571.1 billion KRW, accounting for 60% of the total budget, making it the largest share. Following that are the environment sector with 53.9 billion KRW due to rising waste disposal costs, and the general public administration sector with 49.2 billion KRW.

Looking at the budget allocation and major projects by sector, 49.2 billion KRW was allocated to general public administration, including projects such as the relocation of Gangbuk-gu temporary office and office operations (8.8 billion KRW), and operation of Gangbuk-gu Urban Management Corporation (13.1 billion KRW). The public order and safety sector has a total of 4.3 billion KRW, the education sector 9.4 billion KRW, and the culture and tourism sector 21.1 billion KRW.

The environment sector was allocated 53.9 billion KRW to implement projects such as household and food waste and recyclable materials disposal (28.1 billion KRW), maintenance and environmental improvement of Solbat Neighborhood Park (700 million KRW), creation of large-scale flower gardens (1.5 billion KRW), maintenance of green belts and small unused lands (1.2 billion KRW), sewage facility repairs (2.8 billion KRW), and old sewage pipeline maintenance (600 million KRW), aiming to realize a ‘Natural City Gangbuk.’

In particular, the social welfare sector, which accounts for the largest portion of the budget, was increased by 23.9 billion KRW from last year to 571.1 billion KRW. Projects include Seoul Companion Job Project (7.1 billion KRW), support for National Basic Livelihood Security including living and housing benefits (154 billion KRW), support and management of veterans’ organizations (2.4 billion KRW), infant and toddler childcare fee support (21.3 billion KRW), basic pension payments (207.6 billion KRW), support for senior jobs and senior centers operation (16.4 billion KRW), child and youth companion card support (200 million KRW), and disability activity support (28.3 billion KRW), focusing efforts to improve residents’ quality of life.

Additionally, the health sector was allocated 20.7 billion KRW, agriculture, forestry, marine and fisheries sector 500 million KRW, industry, small and medium enterprises and energy sector 7.2 billion KRW, transportation and logistics sector 13.4 billion KRW, and land and regional development sector 5.3 billion KRW. The 2025 budget will be finalized at the plenary session on the 17th of next month after review by the Gangbuk-gu Council.

District Mayor Lee Soon-hee stated, “Although next year’s financial conditions for our district remain difficult due to the government’s fiscal tightening, we will do our best to create a better living environment in Gangbuk-gu by focusing on projects closely related to residents’ lives.”