Pohang City Takes Proactive Measures to Secure National Budget for 2026... Identifies Projects Worth 1.545 Trillion Won

Relay Progress Report Meetings for Securing the 2026 National Investment Budget
Revitalizing the Local Economy and Stabilizing Livelihoods... 254 National Projects Proposed, Totaling 1.545 Trillion KRW

On the 10th, Pohang City held a departmental progress report meeting chaired by Vice Mayor Jang Sang-gil to secure the 2026 national investment budget.

On the 10th, Pohang City held a meeting chaired by Vice Mayor Jang Sang-gil to report on the progress of securing the national investment budget for 2026. Photo by Pohang City

To discuss the practical securing of national funds, the city plans to hold the first round of departmental progress report meetings by the end of February, starting with the Autonomous Administration Bureau on the 10th and followed by the Job and Economy Bureau on the 12th.

This is to encourage all departments to collaborate and focus on securing national funds from the beginning of the year, while thoroughly reviewing persuasive arguments and reflection status, and establishing a systematic response plan up to the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s budget inclusion.

So far, a total of 254 projects worth 1.545 trillion KRW have been identified, including 67 new projects worth 181.5 billion KRW and 187 ongoing projects worth 1.3635 trillion KRW.

Major new projects include ▲Cultural Industry Cluster Development Project (1 billion KRW) ▲Global Industry-Academia Cooperation Center Construction (1 billion KRW) ▲Next-Generation Cyclic Peptide Design Platform Establishment (4 billion KRW) ▲AI Accelerator Center Public-Private-Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation Model Establishment (20 billion KRW) ▲Hydrogen Transport Steel Material Parts Testing and Evaluation Infrastructure Establishment (5 billion KRW) ▲Pohang Fisheries Aquaculture Equipment Cluster Development Project (500 million KRW), among others.

Additionally, the pine wilt disease disaster prevention project, which failed to receive additional funding in the National Assembly due to last year’s budget cuts, as well as secondary battery and quantum-related projects, will be carefully managed to ensure they are proposed either through the government supplementary budget or as new projects for 2026.

During the Autonomous Administration Bureau’s report meeting, explanations were given on the consultation and progress status with ministries for five new projects out of 14 projects worth 30.7 billion KRW, and Vice Mayor Jang Sang-gil ordered active visits starting in March to Gyeongbuk Province, central government ministries, and, if necessary, the National Assembly to explain projects and seek cooperation for budget inclusion.

Pohang City has produced a national fund securing manual to help understand the series of procedures and step-by-step response strategies related to securing national funds, which may be unfamiliar, and plans to distribute it to all departments on the 12th.

Furthermore, Pohang City intends to devote all administrative efforts to discovering additional new projects based on ministry work plans and public contest project statuses until the second national fund securing report meeting in April.

Vice Mayor Jang Sang-gil said, “Although we are going through a difficult time due to the economic downturn and sluggishness in the region’s key industries, it is precisely at times like this that securing national and provincial funds should contribute to revitalizing the local economy and stabilizing people’s livelihoods,” and added, “Please take responsibility and do your best until the final budget inclusion.”

Pohang City will hold progress report meetings in the following order: Job and Economy Bureau on the 12th, Construction and Transportation Headquarters and Urban Safety and Housing Bureau on the 14th, Marine and Fisheries Bureau and Agricultural Technology Center on the 19th, Clear Water Headquarters and Green City Project Group on the 21st, Welfare Bureau, Environment Bureau, and Tourism Convention City Promotion Headquarters on the 24th, and plans to hold a second round of meetings starting in March.