Honam Expressway Expansion Project in Gwangju Gains Momentum with Restored Funding
Local Economic Revitalization Measures Also Included in Supplementary Budget
Mayor Kang Gijung's Efforts Lead to Budget Restoration for Major Infrastructure Project
Livelihood Support Coupons and Gwangju Sangsaeng Card to Boost Regional Economy
On the 4th, a revised bill for the second supplementary budget for 2025 was passed at the National Assembly plenary session. Photo by Yonhap News
With the passage of the Lee Jaemyung administration's first supplementary budget at the National Assembly, the Honam Expressway expansion project in Gwangju and efforts to revitalize the local economy are expected to gain momentum.
On July 5, the city of Gwangju (Mayor Kang Gijung) announced that the government’s supplementary budget, which passed the National Assembly on July 4, restored 18.3 billion KRW for the Honam Expressway expansion project and included funding for economic recovery measures such as livelihood support coupons and the Gwangju Sarang Gift Certificate (Gwangju Sangsaeng Card).
This supplementary budget is the first to be drawn up since the launch of the Lee Jaemyung administration, with the aim of boosting domestic demand and revitalizing the economy. The city made all-out efforts with both the government and the National Assembly to secure funding for the Honam Expressway expansion project and local economic support.
In particular, the restoration of 18.3 billion KRW in national funding for the Honam Expressway expansion project (Donggwangju to Gwangsan IC section) was largely attributed to Mayor Kang Gijung's decision to hold a "Honam Expressway Expansion Project Citizens' Forum" on July 1, just before the National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, where he expressed his commitment to the project in response to citizens' wishes.
The forum was attended by local residents, city and district council members, experts, and officials from related organizations, who shared a variety of opinions. Citizens strongly emphasized that this project has been a long-standing wish for Gwangju and called for its swift implementation.
As a result, Mayor Kang and local National Assembly members worked closely with the government and the National Assembly to secure the budget, ultimately succeeding in restoring the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s funding, which will allow construction on the Honam Expressway expansion to begin within the year.
Once the Honam Expressway expansion is completed, the current four lanes will be widened to six or eight lanes, which is expected to reduce travel times on major transportation routes by eliminating bottlenecks. In particular, the opening of Yongbong IC will improve connectivity between the Honam Expressway and the Second Ring Road and other major arterial roads, facilitating metropolitan traffic flow and dispersing chronic congestion around Yongbong-dong, leading to significant improvements in traffic conditions.
The city plans to minimize inconvenience to citizens by maintaining four lanes through the use of temporary lanes during the construction in the second half of this year, and by providing real-time traffic updates and detour information, even though some traffic congestion will be unavoidable.
The government’s supplementary budget also included funding for livelihood support coupons and the Gwangju Sarang Gift Certificate (Gwangju Sangsaeng Card), which were key points of contention between the ruling and opposition parties until the end. The livelihood support coupons will provide between 150,000 and 500,000 KRW per person nationwide, depending on income level, and the discount rate for the regional gift certificates will be increased from 8% to up to 13%.
Mayor Kang Gijung stated, "This supplementary budget will be an important turning point and opportunity for improving Gwangju’s transportation network and revitalizing the local economy," adding, "We will continue to repay citizens with a better transportation environment, a more vibrant local economy, and more jobs that people can truly feel in their daily lives."
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