Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Governor Woo Sang-ho visited the Korea Public Finance Information Service on Wednesday to meet with Ministry of Planning and Budget Minister Park Hong-keun, requesting strong government support for five key projects the province plans to pursue in 2027, with a combined cost of 1.54 trillion won ($1.04 billion).
Earlier, at a meeting with the Land, Infrastructure and Transport minister on Thursday, July 16, Woo had requested central government support for roads connecting Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and the Chungcheong region to Gangwon Province, as well as the removal of disadvantageous factors in the preliminary feasibility study approval process.
Wednesday's meeting with Minister Park was arranged to explain the need for national funding for Gangwon Province's key projects, with the two holding an in-depth one-on-one discussion.
Among the five projects Woo proposed, the construction of an expressway between Pocheon and Cheorwon is currently undergoing a preliminary feasibility study. Provincial residents are hoping the project will pass the study in September and secure 1 billion won in feasibility service costs, which would expand the transportation network in the underdeveloped border region.
Results of the preliminary feasibility study for the second project — development of a Gangwon seafood cluster — are expected in late August. If approved, the province plans to secure 5.95 billion won in design costs and push to localize the salmon market. The project is projected to generate about 1 trillion won in regional economic ripple effects and create more than 4,000 new jobs.
The third project, establishing a fast-track system for commercializing AI medical devices, involves securing 3.2 billion won to build a licensing, clinical and manufacturing support platform as part of efforts to create a "medical AI transformation industry cluster."
The fourth project, building a testbed for antibody drug process development and verification, aims to secure 1.05 billion won within a biotech special zone to complete the infrastructure needed to foster Gangwon's biotech, medical and AI transformation industries.
The fifth project, establishing a safety evaluation foundation for electric vehicle cell-to-pack and cell-to-body core components, seeks to secure 2.5 billion won to build a next-generation battery safety evaluation system and advance the future mobility industry.
All five projects are positioned to serve as key pillars supporting industries that represent South Korea's future.
"The projects we proposed today — including the Pocheon-Cheorwon expressway and the seafood cluster, both awaiting preliminary feasibility results, as well as the future industry development initiatives — are the core drivers that will take Gangwon into the next phase under the ninth elected administration," Woo said. "Bold national funding support from the government is essential."
Park responded by recalling that Woo had visited him personally while still a candidate, at the time of Park's inauguration in April, to brief him on Gangwon's key issues. "I will closely monitor the progress of the preliminary feasibility studies for the projects proposed today and make sure the necessary national funding is reflected," Park said.
The Ministry of Planning and Budget is currently reviewing next year's government budget, and Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province plans to make an all-out push until the government's draft budget is finalized in late August.
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