Budget policy consultation follows Democratic Party supreme council meeting in Chuncheon
The leadership of the Democratic Party of Korea, the ruling and majority party, made a large-scale visit to Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province on Monday.
After holding a supreme council meeting at the party's Chuncheon provincial office, the delegation convened the 2026 Democratic Party of Korea–Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Budget Policy Consultation at the provincial government headquarters at 11:30 a.m.
During the 80-minute session, Gangwon Province asked the party to actively support efforts to secure national funding and resolve pressing regional issues.
Attending from the party were party leader Kim Min-seok, floor leader Han Byung-do, National Assembly Budget and Accounts Special Committee Chairman Lee Gwang-jae, Good Local Government Committee Chairman Yeom Tae-young, chief spokesperson Park Seong-jun and party leader chief of staff Kim Tae-seon. The provincial party chapter was represented by chapter chairman Heo Young, National Assembly member Song Gi-heon and regional committee chairs Choi Uk-cheol and Jeon Ye-hyeon. From the provincial government, Governor Woo Sang-ho, Gangwon Provincial Assembly Democratic Party floor leader Nam Sang-gyu, provincial assembly member Choi Jong-hyeon and economic vice governor Shin Won-cheol attended. The mayors and county chiefs of Chuncheon, Gangneung, Donghae, Yanggu-gun and Yangyang-gun — Yuk Dong-han, Kim Jung-nam, Lee Jeong-hak, Kim Wang-gyu and Kim Jeong-jung, respectively — also took part. The gathering focused on ways for the Democratic Party and Gangwon Province to cooperate on major nationally funded projects and regional issues.
Gangwon Province asked that four nationally funded projects totaling 1.6 trillion won ($1.19 billion) be reflected in the National Assembly's budget deliberations: consulting costs needed if the Pocheon–Cheorwon expressway clears a preliminary feasibility study, project costs for the AX digital transformation initiative, equipment costs for an antibody drug process development and verification testbed, and design costs for an integrated transportation system.
The province also asked the party to take an active interest in and support the resolution of pressing regional challenges, including the relocation of public institutions to drive regional growth, the expansion of transportation networks such as expressways and railways through inclusion in national plans, the designation of a defense industry innovation cluster, and an exemption from preliminary feasibility studies for the medical and wellness AX digital transformation project.
Governor Woo said the province was asking again that reductions in local allocation tax grants be offset and that nationally exclusive projects be increased, so that the future response fund does not work against Gangwon Province — which has low fiscal self-sufficiency — and called for renewed progress on the nationally set goal of adjusting the national-to-local tax ratio to 7-to-3.
In a closed general discussion, participants also raised the need for fiscal support for public hospitals to guarantee essential regional medical services, and called for a review of the anti-money-laundering regime as it applies to Kangwon Land, a casino operator in a coal industry transition zone. The view expressed was that while the anti-money-laundering law is sound, its short-term adverse effects on coal transition areas warrant consideration, and that the system should be reviewed with a view to setting a high-amount threshold.
The mayors and county chiefs of Chuncheon, Gangneung, Donghae, Yanggu-gun and Yangyang-gun, who also attended, each asked the party to actively support the resolution of their own localities' pressing issues.
Budget committee chairman Lee Gwang-jae said the province is currently bearing a heavy fiscal burden from operating Olympic facilities in Gangneung, Pyeongchang and Jeongseon. He said he plans to introduce an amendment to the National Sports Promotion Act that would have the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation take over direct operation of the Olympic facilities, adding that the move would "open a new path for tourism and sports in Gangwon."
Party leader Kim Min-seok said the party has been paying close attention to Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and working hard to support it, and pledged to "carefully follow up on the issues raised today — including the paradox surrounding the future response fund — and on the projects proposed for national budget inclusion."
Meanwhile, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province recently secured a record 11.12 trillion won in the government's draft 2027 budget, an 8.4 percent increase from the previous year, ushering in what officials are calling the era of 11 trillion won in national funding. The province said it plans to continue working closely with the party and the government going forward.
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