Second relocation of public institutions, timely opening of Gadeokdo airport on agenda

Han: 'No partisan divide when it comes to Busan and Buk-gu development'

Busan city officials and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon hold a budget policy consultation meeting at Busan City Hall on Monday to discuss key municipal issues and strategies for securing national funding. [Busan city government]
Busan city officials and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon hold a budget policy consultation meeting at Busan City Hall on Monday to discuss key municipal issues and strategies for securing national funding. [Busan city government]

Busan city held a budget policy consultation meeting Monday morning with independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon (Busan Buk-gu Gap) at a conference room on the 12th floor of City Hall to discuss key municipal issues and strategies for securing national funding next year.

The meeting marked the first time Busan city had sat down with Han since holding a similar consultation with People Power Party lawmakers from Busan at the Kensington Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, on Sept. 2. Busan's delegation included Future Innovation Vice Mayor Oh Seok-geun, a senior political adviser and other key staff, as well as the head of the planning and coordination office. Han attended with his own aides.

The city asked Han for his full support on nine pressing issues for Busan's development, including the second phase of relocating public institutions to the regions, the timely opening of Gadeokdo New Airport, converting Busan Baptist Hospital into a public hospital, and establishing a safe drinking water supply system. As Han sits on the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, both sides also reached a shared understanding on 17 priority projects requiring national fiscal support next year.

Topics discussed included the establishment of a National Quantum Innovation Center, a physical AI-based total-care platform linking regional care services, a blockchain creative district, a maritime and port AI transformation demonstration center, a next-generation power semiconductor production platform, an AI-based biomaterial process innovation convergence support center, and an AI transformation project for the Busan Eco Delta Smart City national pilot.

"There can be no ruling or opposition party, no partisan divide, when it comes to developing Busan and Buk-gu," Han said. "We will actively cooperate beyond our differences toward the shared goal of advancing Busan and Buk-gu, and work together to deliver results through the budget."

Future Innovation Vice Mayor Oh said the city is at a critical juncture where it must simultaneously achieve its leap toward becoming a maritime capital and transition to future industries, making next year's national funding all the more vital. "I hope the discussions we had with lawmaker Han will serve as a catalyst driving Busan's leap forward," he added.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com