Busan is good

Park Heong-joon Visits the National Assembly to Secure National Funding for 2026 Requests Inclusion of Key Projects in Next Year’s Budget

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Mayor Park Heong-joon visited the National Assembly this afternoon (November 12) to meet with Han Byung-do, Chair of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts; Park Hyung-soo, the committee’s secretary from the People Power Party; and Song Eon-seok, the party’s floor leader. During the meetings, Mayor Park requested national funding support to ensure the smooth implementation of Busan’s key regional projects.

At the meeting, Mayor Park emphasized the importance of sufficient national funding for next year to strengthen the competitiveness of Busan’s core industries—aviation, ports, semiconductors, and future vehicles.

In particular, he highlighted the Gadeokdo New Airport Construction Project (total project cost: KRW 15.658 trillion), which already has KRW 688.9 billion reflected in the 2026 government budget proposal. As the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is currently working on normalization measures, such as adjusting the site development schedule, Park explained that maintaining the allocated budget as planned is essential to ensure the project proceeds normally in 2026.

He also focused on projects related to drinking water supply and new industrial infrastructure expansion. Park requested the inclusion of design costs amounting to KRW 1.92 billion for the Nakdong River Basin Safe Drinking Water Supply System Construction Project (total project cost: KRW 1.7613 trillion), a long-cherished goal of the city, which is now at the stage of full-scale implementation.

In addition, he explained that allocating KRW 3 billion in infrastructure construction costs for next year to the Next-generation Aircraft Component Advanced Manufacturing Demonstration Support Project (total project cost: KRW 24 billion), centered on the Mieum Industrial Complex, would further strengthen the foundation of the Southeast Region’s (Busan–Ulsan–Gyeongnam) aviation industry belt.

In the semiconductor sector, Park also underscored the need for new investments. He proposed the inclusion of KRW 2.5 billion each in national funding for the Extreme/Polar Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing Infrastructure Construction Project (total project cost: KRW 14.4 billion) and the Silicon Carbide (SiC) High-efficiency Power Semiconductor Substrate Analysis Center Construction Project (total project cost: KRW 14.4 billion). These initiatives aim to foster an industrial ecosystem centered on the power semiconductor specialized complex and enhance technological self-sufficiency.

To improve efficiency and safety in container logistics at Busan Port, Park requested KRW 5 billion in equipment installation costs for the Autonomous-driving-based Smart Port Mobility Hub Construction Project (total project cost: KRW 49 billion). He also explained that an additional KRW 2.9 billion—beyond the current government proposal—is required for the XR-based Digital Twin System Construction Project for Future Vehicle Platform Support (total project cost: KRW 20 billion) to build core verification equipment supporting the transition to the future vehicle industry.

In the fields of medicine and artificial intelligence (AI), Park emphasized the need for balanced national investment, expanding advanced treatment infrastructure—currently concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area—to local regions. He requested the inclusion of KRW 300 million in planning costs for the Proton Therapy Center Construction Support Project (total project cost: KRW 250 billion).

Additionally, he mentioned that the WAVE Project (total project cost: KRW 1 billion), which aims to promote AI transformation (AX) in marine-specialized industries such as defense, ports, and shipbuilding, requires KRW 1 billion in planning costs to establish a foundation for implementation.

Mayor Park stated, “The projects proposed today are essential for Busan to solidify its position as a key hub of national balanced development and to advance as a global hub city.” He added, “Since these initiatives are directly linked to resolving local issues and securing a foundation for future growth, I will make every effort to secure the necessary funding during the National Assembly’s budget review process.”