Gangdong District Finalizes 1.1456 Trillion Won Budget... Core Projects Cut

Full Elimination of Han River Ecological Trail Design Budget
Soohee Lee: "Will Ensure Not a Single Won of Taxpayer Money Is Wasted"

On January 2, Gangdong District in Seoul announced that its 2026 budget proposal was finalized after passing the plenary session of the Gangdong District Council on December 30 of the previous year. The finalized budget totals 1.1456 trillion won (1.1233 trillion won for the general account and 22.3 billion won for the special account).

The district had initially aimed to process the budget by the statutory deadline of December 18, 2025. However, the review was delayed by 12 days due to demands from some council members to cut key projects. To prevent a provisional budget situation-which could have halted support for vulnerable groups such as seniors and people with disabilities, as well as various livelihood projects-the district accepted cuts to the contentious core projects.

Soohee Lee, Mayor of Gangdong District. Provided by Gangdong District Office.

The major projects that were cut include the basic and detailed design services for the Han River Ecological Observation Trail and the creation of the "The Best Gangdong Education Belt." The psychological-curriculum convergence education program, originally planned to expand to all middle and high schools in the district, will now be limited to high schools only, with the project budget reduced by half. The entire design service budget for the Han River Ecological Observation Trail, which was part of the "100-Year Seoul Urban Vision Plan" by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, was completely eliminated.

The district stated that, since these projects are essential for improving residents' quality of life and Gangdong's future development, it plans to pursue them in the future by securing additional budgets through supplementary appropriations.

The finalized 2026 budget is focused on essential areas such as "safety" and "welfare for the vulnerable." The social welfare budget was set at 692.8 billion won, an increase of 40 billion won from the previous year. Major projects include 179.5 billion won for basic pensions, 129.5 billion won for livelihood and housing benefits, 41 billion won for childcare support, and 6 billion won for support for national merit recipients.

Investment in living infrastructure will also be strengthened. New projects include 100 million won for crosswalk water drainage improvements, 200 million won for subsurface road cavity inspections, 250 million won for seismic reinforcement of the Godeok 3 Bridge, and 30 million won for maintenance of facilities vulnerable to landslides, all aimed at enhancing disaster response capabilities. In addition, 790 million won has been allocated for undergrounding overhead power lines on Godeok-ro, and 700 million won for developing urban infrastructure in Yangji 2 Village, to create a safer and more pleasant pedestrian environment.

To support local economic recovery, the district will issue 20 billion won in Gangdong Love Gift Certificates and 2.5 billion won in delivery app-exclusive gift certificates, and will contribute 800 million won to a special credit guarantee foundation to help stabilize small business operations. Furthermore, 1.6 billion won has been allocated for constructing a parking lot at the Gildong Bokjori Market, laying the groundwork for revitalizing traditional markets.

Soohee Lee, Mayor of Gangdong District, stated, "In order to avoid the catastrophe of a provisional budget and to protect livelihood funding, I made the difficult decision to accept cuts to core projects that prepare for Gangdong's future." She added, "Since the finalized budget consists of residents' precious tax money, I will ensure that not a single won is wasted by executing it swiftly and efficiently."