Gangwon Province Allocates 3.3 Trillion Won for Welfare and Health to Build a Robust Safety Net

Gangwon Province Allocates 40% of Budget
6.2% Increase from Previous Year
Focus on Expanding Basic Livelihood Security

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jintae) will invest a total of 3.3323 trillion won in the welfare and health sector for 2026 to improve the quality of life for residents and establish a robust social safety net. To achieve this, the province plans to focus its policies on three key areas: strengthening basic livelihood security, expanding public healthcare infrastructure, and enhancing support for child-rearing.

Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is holding a press conference on the 5th. Provided by Gangwon Province

This amount represents approximately 40% of the province's total budget of 8.3731 trillion won. With the advent of the "10 trillion won era" in national funding, the amount of national funds allocated to the health and welfare sector will reach 2.8315 trillion won, an increase of 217.7 billion won (8.33%) compared to the previous year.

First, to strengthen basic livelihood security, support for key welfare benefits such as the basic pension, livelihood benefits, and medical benefits will be expanded.

The basic pension budget will be increased by 88.1 billion won from last year to a total of 1.0622 trillion won. This reflects a monthly increase of 6,000 won compared to 2025, with up to 349,000 won per person provided each month to 293,000 senior citizens.

The livelihood benefit budget will be set at 367.8 billion won, up 31.8 billion won from the previous year, reflecting the increase in the standard median income. For a four-person household, the monthly benefit will increase by 127,000 won, with a maximum monthly support of 2,078,000 won.

The medical benefit budget will be increased by 47.5 billion won to a total of 441.3 billion won. This expansion is also due to the increase in the standard median income.

A total of 108.4 billion won will be invested to strengthen public healthcare and reinforce the health safety net for residents.

The relocation and reconstruction project for Yeongwol Medical Center will commence in earnest this year with the establishment of the basic plan and official announcement procedures, aiming for completion by 2030. The initial request for private investment in the relocation and reconstruction was 76.5 billion won, but the final amount approved by the National Assembly is 90.3 billion won.

As a new initiative, 4.8 billion won will be allocated to purchase and replace 17 types of essential medical equipment, including defibrillators, ventilators, and X-ray machines, as well as to support equipment for emergency medical institutions in underserved areas, thereby maintaining emergency room infrastructure.

In addition, 23.3 billion won will be invested to upgrade facilities and equipment at local medical centers, further strengthening public healthcare functions and enhancing the competitiveness of medical services.

Going forward, the province plans to actively listen to voices from the field and seek reasonable solutions through communication with stakeholders in public healthcare, including labor unions.

To enhance support for child-rearing, a total of 538.3 billion won will be invested, an increase of 34.5 billion won from the previous year. In addition, the Gangwon Childcare Allowance, which is among the highest in the nation, will expand its coverage to children up to age seven starting this year. The Gangwon Childcare Allowance will receive the largest allocation among the province’s own initiatives, with 183.6 billion won invested.

Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "We are allocating a total of 3.3323 trillion won to the welfare and health sector, which accounts for 40% of the province's budget." He added, "The basic pension is the largest single project, with over 1 trillion won allocated, while 100 billion won will be invested in public healthcare and 180 billion won in the Gangwon Childcare Allowance."

He went on to say, "We will meet with labor unions to listen to their concerns and work together to find solutions."