Gapyeong County Makes All-Out Efforts to Secure National and Provincial Funds to Ease Fiscal Burden

Faster Progress on the "50 Strategic Projects," Including the County-Run Hospital
Proactive Strengthening of External Cooperation

Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province is making every effort to secure national and provincial funds to compensate for its poor fiscal conditions and to ensure the seamless implementation of key projects directly related to residents' livelihoods. The county is proactively strengthening external cooperation with central government ministries, Gyeonggi Province, and the National Assembly to accelerate the promotion of major pending issues in the 8th popularly elected administration and the "50 Strategic Projects."

A view of Gapyeong County Office. Provided by Gapyeong County.

Recently, through the "County Governor's Directives," Gapyeong County ordered all employees to strengthen external cooperation at the central and provincial levels, emphasizing not only document-based consultations but also in-person visits. In particular, taking into account the selection of major projects by sector and the timing of budget allocation, the county called for proactively expanding exchanges before July and August.

The county is also fully developing strategies to secure external financial resources for its major projects. For the Cheongpyeong Natural Disaster Risk Improvement Zone Maintenance Project, the county plans to allocate 15.5 billion won in national funding and 7.75 billion won in provincial funding out of a total project cost of 31 billion won. For the Gapyeong Integrated Water Intake and Purification Facility Expansion Project, it will allocate 22.621 billion won in provincial funding out of a total project cost of 50.954 billion won, thereby easing its fiscal burden.

Although separate national and provincial funds have not yet been earmarked for the construction of the county-run hospital to establish a medical safety net, the county is seeking ways to reduce county expenditures by linking related projects and strategically securing financial resources. The total project cost for this initiative is planned at 27.743 billion won. The county-run hospital will be equipped with a 24-hour emergency medical facility, six currently unmet medical departments (internal medicine, nephrology, obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, pediatrics and adolescent medicine, and emergency medicine), facilities for responding to emerging infectious diseases and disasters, and a helipad for emergency medical helicopters.

A county official said, "Because Gapyeong County has a low fiscal self-reliance ratio, securing national and provincial funds through external cooperation with the central government and Gyeonggi Province is a crucial asset for the development of county administration. We will further strengthen our external cooperative relationships to secure the necessary financial resources in advance and steadily implement key projects that residents can truly feel in their daily lives."