Mayor Sangsoo Park Outlines 2026 Municipal Vision
Announces Seven Key Strategies Centered on "Revitalizing the Local Economy and Fostering Future Industries"
On November 27, Samcheok City in Gangwon Province announced the 2026 municipal administration direction and the main budget proposal during the 2nd regular session of the 259th Samcheok City Council. The city declared that, based on the achievements of the 8th popularly elected administration over the past four years, it would focus on structural transformation of the region and delivering tangible results for citizens, positioning this as "the starting point for opening a new future."
Sangsoo Park, Mayor of Samcheok, announced the 2026 municipal administration direction and the main budget proposal during the 2nd regular session of the 259th Samcheok City Council on the 27th. Provided by Samcheok City
Samcheok City plans to complete the construction of the hydrogen-specialized general industrial complex and rental factories, accelerating the move-in of companies to deliver outcomes that citizens can experience. In addition, the city will speed up the establishment of a hydrogen economy ecosystem based on industry-academia-research collaboration, including the operation of a liquefied hydrogen reliability evaluation center and the creation of a hydrogen storage and transportation cluster. Furthermore, by establishing a CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) Promotion Center and a secondary battery electrical fire complex test certification platform, Samcheok aims to lead the energy and disaster prevention technology industries and actively attract related companies.
To strengthen urban competitiveness, Samcheok City will prioritize the early commencement of the Yeongwol-Samcheok Expressway construction. With the preliminary feasibility study completed and a 5 billion won budget allocated, the city will expedite the detailed design and groundbreaking. Alongside this, the city will prepare for the era of high-speed rail on the East Coast by expanding the metropolitan transportation network, such as establishing the foundation for the Donghae Line high-speed rail, and continue with major road improvement projects to enhance citizens' mobility as planned.
To create new growth engines for former mining areas, the city will focus on building a medical industry cluster based on a heavy ion cancer treatment center. By developing a growth model that combines healthcare, education, healing, and tourism, Samcheok intends to drive structural changes in the region.
To attract population inflow and improve living conditions, the city will promote the Gold City project, a Seoul-regional win-win housing initiative, and concentrate efforts on fostering special education development zones, nurturing glocal universities, and expanding the foundation for public institution relocations.
To prevent urban hollowing and revitalize central commercial districts, Samcheok will devise plans for utilizing the site following the relocation and reconstruction of Samcheok Medical Center, and will carry out urban regeneration and old residential area improvement projects in the Jeongra, Jeongha, and Dangjeo-dong areas.
To expand experiential tourism, the city will attract a large hotel to Jeongra Recreation Area and connect this to an early groundbreaking, accelerate the Samcheok Luge project, and promote the development of an energy tourism complex. Additionally, the city will build an additional 36-hole park golf course and expand year-round sports tourism infrastructure, including a national sports center and a second multi-sports town.
To establish a virtuous cycle in the rural and fishing village economies, Samcheok will complete the construction of rental smart farms and youth rural housing, promote the fishing village revitalization project, and restore the marine ecosystem. At the same time, the city will strengthen safety and care for citizens by constructing a new senior club, expanding jobs for the elderly, enhancing welfare for infants and children, and improving disaster prevention infrastructure.
Mayor Sangsoo Park stated, "We will turn the foundation for change established through the achievements of the 8th popularly elected administration into concrete results and create a revitalized Samcheok together with our citizens." He emphasized, "Despite fiscal uncertainties, we will achieve both regional growth and improved quality of life for citizens through efficient budget management and securing national and provincial funds."
Samcheok City has designated 2026 as the year to complete the achievements of the 8th popularly elected administration, aiming for balanced progress across all sectors, including industry, transportation, tourism, residential life, and welfare.
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