Achievements of the 8th Administration Presented at Year-End Press Conference
47% Increase in Government Funding, Top Pledge Fulfillment for Three Consecutive Years
Administrative Integration and Energy Transition Are the Biggest Challenges for the Final Six Months
Governor Kim Taeheum of Chungnam held a year-end press conference at the provincial office on the 30th, explaining the achievements of the 8th popularly elected term and stating, "We have proven the promise of creating a strong Chungnam through results." Photo by Lee Byungryul
Governor Kim Taeheum of Chungnam presented the achievements of the 8th popularly elected provincial administration on the 30th. Next year’s government funding is set at 12.3 trillion won, a 47% increase compared to the start of his term, and cumulative investment attraction has surpassed 43.7 trillion won, bringing the goal of reaching 45 trillion won within his term within reach.
At the year-end press conference held at the provincial office that day, Governor Kim stated, “We have proven the promise of creating a strong Chungnam through results, not just words,” and evaluated the past four years as a period that fundamentally transformed the structure of Chungnam’s administration.
Next year’s government funding for Chungnam is 12.3 trillion won, an increase of more than 4 trillion won compared to 8.3 trillion won at the time of his inauguration. Over the past four years, the total increase rate of government funding stands at 47.2%, the highest in the nation.
Governor Kim explained, “This is the result of shifting from a passive administrative approach of waiting for allocations to an active sales administration that directly persuades central ministries.”
He particularly emphasized, “Cumulative investment attraction has exceeded 43.7 trillion won, and it is highly likely that we will easily achieve the goal of 45 trillion won within my term. Chungnam has firmly established itself as a region chosen by companies.”
He added, “Chungnam has received the highest grade for three consecutive years in the national evaluation of provincial pledge implementation, and our pledge fulfillment rate has significantly exceeded the national average. We have made our promises to residents the standard for administration.”
He went on to highlight, “Chungnam has achieved results in major national projects that will serve as turning points in transforming the province’s industrial landscape, such as the establishment of the Naepo Campus at Chungnam National University, national projects in advanced displays and new industries, and the Geumsan pumped storage power plant, successfully competing with other provinces and cities.”
He continued, “We have shifted agriculture from a protected sector to a growth industry, expanding youth startups based on smart farms, and in some areas, there are even cases of annual incomes exceeding 100 million won. We are witnessing firsthand that agriculture can indeed become a future industry.”
Additionally, he stated, “Since declaring the Special Carbon Neutral Economy Province, we have focused on energy transition projects such as hydrogen cities and CCU (carbon capture and utilization) projects, connecting them to new industrial opportunities.”
He also mentioned, “We have achieved results such as establishing the Asan Bay circular transportation network and creating a 600 billion won venture fund, and early next year, we are set to designate an economic free zone and open the Economic Free Zone Authority.”
Governor Kim proposed “the introduction of a four-day workweek for the first time among national public institutions, the expansion of 24/7 childcare centers, and the 100% special supply of public rental housing to households with pregnant women or newborns” as policies to address the low birth rate.
He then cited “the administrative integration of Daejeon and Chungnam, construction of the Jicheon Dam, phased closure of coal-fired power plants, enactment of a special regional support law, and the second relocation of public institutions” as key tasks for the remaining six months of his term.
He stated, “I will take responsibility for completing tasks that can be finished within my term, and lay the groundwork so that long-term projects can be continued seamlessly by the next administration.”
Regarding administrative integration, he stressed, “The standard for integration is the benefit of Chungnam residents,” and added, “I will respond to the end to ensure that the foundation of the special law, which includes the transfer of administrative and financial authority, is not undermined.”
He concluded, “With the determination of ‘Yujigyeongseong’ (where there is a will, there is a way), I will remain unwavering until the very end of the 8th popularly elected term.”
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