New Year's Press Conference: "Fiscal Focus on Stabilizing Livelihoods, Living Infrastructure, and Growth Engines"
"Attracting Science High Schools is an Opportunity to Become a City Nurturing Advanced and Scientific Talent"
"The economy is quite difficult." This was a phrase repeatedly emphasized by Kim Kyung-hee, Mayor of Icheon City, Gyeonggi Province, during the New Year's press conference on the 7th. It reflects a sense of crisis caused by the sharply contracted consumption amid the impeachment political turmoil and the compounded damage from heavy snowfall in November last year, along with the uncertain economic outlook.
Kim Kyung-hee, Mayor of Icheon, is explaining the New Year's administrative plan at the New Year's press conference held in the city hall's main conference room on the 7th. Photo by Icheon City
At the press conference held in the city hall's large conference room, Mayor Kim stated, "I will prioritize the recovery of the people's economy as the city's top priority." Along with this, she expressed her determination to pursue city administration with the goals of 'building a future city' and 'enhancing everyday happiness' this year.
Mayor Kim presented five major key tasks: ▲ Realizing welfare that adds hope to people's lives and future education ▲ Establishing a solid economic foundation to lead the next 50 years ▲ Implementing a smart safety city and improving traffic and parking inconveniences ▲ Creating an attractive city full of leisure and enjoyment 365 days a year ▲ Developing a happy rural area where people want to live and realizing sustainable advanced agriculture.
Mayor Kim plans to operate finances boldly and expansively to stabilize people's livelihoods, expand life-oriented infrastructure, and secure future growth engines, while drastically reducing unnecessary and non-essential budgets. In line with this policy, the city prepared this year's main budget at 1.2803 trillion won, an increase of 182.6 billion won (15.4%) compared to last year's 1.0977 trillion won.
Mayor Kim particularly emphasized implementing various policies to expand consumption and alleviate the management difficulties of small business owners. She explained, "We will operate the Icheon Love local currency with a target issuance scale of 110 billion won, and focus administrative efforts on recovering the people's economy by improving the business environment, revitalizing traditional markets, and operating on-site support teams for alleyway restaurants."
There is also a plan to drive the cultivation of the semiconductor industry, which is the city's future food source. Mayor Kim said, "We will start construction of the Daewol Industrial Complex, which is being promoted to attract semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang) companies, within this year and complete the site development by next year." Along with this, her plan includes establishing a semiconductor convergence education center linked with Korea Polytechnic University, operating a contract department at Icheon Jeil High School, and fostering practical semiconductor talents at Doowon Technical University, thereby building a diverse semiconductor human resource development system. She will also promote public projects for semiconductor company cultivation, establish a future industry promotion center, and introduce a future growth industry fund.
She also plans to make every effort to secure the final designation of the Gyeonggi-type science high school, which was preliminarily designated in the first phase at the end of last year. Mayor Kim said, "Attracting the Gyeonggi-type science high school is an opportunity for Icheon City to become a central city for nurturing advanced and scientific talents in Korea," and added, "We will devote all our efforts together with citizens to succeed in the final attraction."
She stated, "We will execute key tasks without wavering and continuously communicate with citizens during the promotion and decision-making processes of important policies to enhance administrative transparency."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
