Jeonbuk State has secured a national budget of KRW 10.0834 trillion for 2026, marking the beginning of the 'KRW 10 Trillion Era' for the first time in its history.

 

On the 3rd Jeonbuk State said, ‘the national budget increased from KRW 8.9368 trillion in 2022 to KRW 9.1595 trillion in 2023, marking the start of the KRW 9 trillion era. Because the KRW 9 trillion and KRW 10 trillion eras were opened simultaneously just three years after the launch of the 8th popularly elected government, this achievement will be evaluated as a significant turning point in Jeonbuk's budgetary history.’

 

The fact that large-scale new projects were reflected in this budget acquisition is noteworthy regarding the KRW 10 trillion budget. Key provincial projects were largely included, such as: the establishment of a Collaborative Intelligent Physical AI-based Software Platform (total project cost KRW 1 trillion), the construction of a Cyclotron Research Facility for Space Radiation Impact Assessment (total project cost KRW 250 billion), the Saemangeum Hemp Industry Cluster (total project cost KRW 387.4 billion), the Geriatric-Friendly Industry Complex linked to the special provisions of the Jeonbuk Special Act (total project cost KRW 598.4 billion), and the Clinical Trial Center for Veterinary Drugs (total project cost KRW 30 billion). This is evaluated as laying the foundation for the stable securing of annual investment budgets in the future.

 

The budgets for key infrastructure projects—including the Saemangeum International Airport (KRW 120 billion), the Saemangeum Inter-Regional Connection Road (KRW 163 billion), and the Saemangeum Port Access Railway (KRW 15 billion)—were reflected as continuing projects, thus gaining momentum for their implementation.

 

Governor Kim Kwan-young emphasized, "The achievement of KRW 10 trillion is significant not merely as quantitative growth, but because it signifies a qualitative transformation." In fact, Jeonbuk has become the central hub for key government policy projects, such as Physical AI, and has established the foundation for the full-scale launch of the representative projects under the Jeonbuk Special Act.

 

Improvements will also be seen in the healthcare and transportation sectors, which are directly related to the lives of provincial residents. In the past, officials had to travel to the Seoul metropolitan area to secure the budget for the Jeonbuk Regional Integrated Rehabilitation Hospital, but that inconvenience will now be resolved. Furthermore, transportation convenience is expected to significantly increase, with reduced commuting times achieved through the construction of national alternative bypass roads and the improvement of traffic bottlenecks.

 

The state will not be satisfied with the current achievement and plans to form a National Project Discovery Team with the Jeonbuk Research Institute. They will identify new projects for 2027 and 2028 as quickly as possible and reinforce countermeasures for projects subject to the preliminary feasibility study.

 

Governor Kim Kwan-young of Jeonbuk State said, "The scale of the budget is important. However, we must prioritize the speed of project implementation and the change felt in the lives of the provincial residents." He added, "We will further solidify our cooperative system with cities and counties, accelerate the budget execution rate, and continue to pay attention to voices from the field so that changes are genuinely felt on the ground."