CHANGWON — South Gyeongsang Province has joined forces with People Power Party lawmakers from the region ahead of the National Assembly's budget review. The goal is to protect the 11.68 trillion won earmarked for the province in the government's budget proposal and secure an additional 153.3 billion won.
The province held a budget policy meeting with the People Power Party's South Gyeongsang chapter at the Kensington Hotel in Seoul's Yeouido district on the 14th to discuss its response to the National Assembly's review of the 2027 government budget proposal. Governor Park Wan-su, provincial party chapter leader Park Sang-woong, 12 lawmakers from the region and senior provincial officials attended, for a total of 35 participants.
The province asked for support on 26 major pending issues and 32 state-funded projects. It requested that funding for the state-funded projects be increased by 153.3 billion won during the legislative review. Key requests include construction of the Southern Inland Railway linking Gimcheon and Geoje, nine road routes to be included in the sixth national and local highway construction plan, construction of the Geoje-Tongyeong expressway, a testing and inspection support center for small modular reactor (SMR) manufacturing components, an integrated support center for three-dimensional printing technology for the space industry, and the relocation and reconstruction of Geochang Red Cross Hospital.
"Issues directly tied to the future of South Gyeongsang Province are awaiting decisions by the National Assembly and the government, so I ask that the region's political leaders join forces," Park said. "Projects reflected in the government proposal must be protected without fail during the legislative review, and projects that were left out or underfunded must be secured additionally."
Park also called for action on legislation. He requested passage of special acts on developing the southern coastal region and on building an aerospace complex city during the regular parliamentary session, along with early enactment of a special act on Korea-U.S. shipbuilding industry cooperation and support to strengthen the competitiveness of the shipbuilding sector.
On industry and transport, the province asked that it be designated the country's first mega special zone and that a national industrial complex in Changwon combining defense and nuclear power be selected as a national strategic project. It also requested that an expansion of infrastructure at Sacheon Airport be included in the seventh comprehensive airport development plan, that the Geoga Expressway be upgraded to expressway status, and that a high-speed rail line between Dongdaegu and Changwon be pursued. The province further asked that as many of its projects as possible be included in the fifth national railway network plan, the second comprehensive national road network plan and the third expressway construction plan.
On balanced regional development, the province requested that key public institutions including the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) relocate to the province, and that an integrated headquarters for state-run power generation companies be brought to the Gyeongnam Innovation City. It also asked for support to ensure that institutions needed by local industry are assigned to the province in the second round of public institution relocations.
Local finances were addressed separately. Citing the creation of a new future response fund, Park said, "Revenue that should be distributed to local governments is shrinking, while the burden on local budgets from welfare and basic income for farming and fishing communities keeps growing." He added, "Along with securing state funding, the sustainability of local finances must also be examined during the legislative review." The province also requested a higher central government funding ratio for the pilot program providing basic income in farming and fishing communities, and the upgrading of local rivers to national river status.
"We will protect every single project reflected in the government proposal to the end, and we will revive and secure additional funding for key provincial projects that were underfunded or left out during the legislative review," the party chapter leader said. "We will show the strength of being one team not just in words but through results — protecting projects and increasing the budget."
The province is also pursuing a meeting with Democratic Party lawmakers from the region. It plans to operate a situation room for securing state funding in line with the National Assembly's budget review schedule.
