Cheongdo County Overcomes Fiscal Crisis with 'Public Contest Projects'... Secures Record-High 226 Billion Won

County's Fiscal Burden Drops to a Record Low of 9.6%
Main Budget Set to Surpass 750 Billion Won for the First Time This Year

Cheongdo County is making significant progress by aggressively addressing its challenging local financial conditions with the bold strategy of attracting strategic public contest projects.

Cheongdo County (Governor Kim Hasu) announced that, as a result of meticulous response strategies implemented since the launch of the 8th popularly elected administration, it was selected for a total of 42 public contest projects in 2025, securing a record-high project budget of 226 billion won.

Cheongdo County Office Exterior View

This achievement is the result of strategically targeting customized public contests tailored to local conditions, despite internal and external challenges such as population decline and the climate crisis.

The amount secured by Cheongdo County through public contest projects has shown a steep upward trend.

Starting with 75.7 billion won in 2022, the county secured 137.3 billion won in 2023, 156.6 billion won in 2024, and reached 226 billion won in 2025, achieving the highest public contest project funding for three consecutive years.

The county's financial burden rate dropped dramatically from 39% in 2022 to 9.6% in 2025, significantly reducing Cheongdo County's fiscal burden.

Thanks to this innovation in fiscal management, this year marks the first time the main budget has reached 750 billion won.

The success of Cheongdo County’s public contest projects stems from its ability to anticipate and respond to the policy directions of central government agencies, as well as improvements in employee mindset and work practices that prioritize securing national and provincial funds for every project.

Additionally, providing specialized outsourced training to all staff members to enhance their public contest project capabilities was also a key factor.

Furthermore, building a close collaborative system with members of the National Assembly and local figures who have moved away from the region, and actively leveraging these human networks, played a crucial role in driving these achievements.

Major public contest projects for Cheongdo County in 2025 include: the Underdeveloped Area Development Strategic Project for the establishment of Cheongdo Nature Dream Park (192.5 billion won); the 2026 Local Extinction Response Fund (8 billion won); Regional Development Support (Customized Local Demand Support Project) (6.7 billion won); Rural Space Improvement Project (5 billion won); Agricultural Worker Dormitory Construction Support Project (2.4 billion won); and Rural Extinction Response Vacant House Regeneration Support Project (2.1 billion won)-all of which are core initiatives for regional development.

Cheongdo County’s public contest projects are expected to drive tangible regional development by revitalizing the local economy and establishing a foundation for sustainable growth, as well as through important initiatives such as disaster risk area improvement projects to protect the lives and safety of residents.

Cheongdo County is securing future growth engines and laying the groundwork for sustainable development of the local community through its response to local extinction and customized regional projects.

Kim Hasu, Governor of Cheongdo County, stated, "Since the launch of the 8th popularly elected administration, Cheongdo County has strategically pursued public contest projects and achieved significant results in securing budgets. We will continue to establish strong collaborative systems and secure budgets for Cheongdo County’s development through cooperation with various ministries, achieving sustainable growth going forward."