Gangwon Office of Education 2026 Budget Nears Finalization at 3.9 Trillion Won... Special Committee Adjusts by 20.5 Billion Won

Gangwon Provincial Council Special Committee on Budget and Accounts Reviews and Adjusts 2026 Education Office Budget Proposal
Increased Investment in AI Education, but Budget for Replacing Outdated Devices Reduced Due to Insufficient Demand Survey
"Career Activity Support Fund" Restored, "Electronic Whiteboards" Fully Cut... Enhancing Fiscal Efficiency in Gangwon Education

The Special Committee on Budget and Accounts of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Council, chaired by Choi Seungsun, conducted a comprehensive review of the "2026 Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education Budget Proposal" from December 8 to December 10, 2025.

342nd 4th Budget and Accounts Special Committee. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Council

Given that a significant portion of the budget was reduced during the preliminary review by the standing committee, the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts focused its comprehensive review on the reasons for these reductions and the appropriateness of future reallocations. During the review period, the committee requested a total of 24 supplementary documents from the Provincial Office of Education and thoroughly analyzed key issues.

The 2026 budget proposal submitted by the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education amounts to a total of 3.9971 trillion won. The total adjustment made by the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts was 20.5158 billion won, with the main details as follows.

The Budget Adjustment Subcommittee of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts listened to a briefing from the education office's executive team on the "Gangwon Airo" initiative and observed a demonstration of the system. The subcommittee concluded that, in the long term, the system would significantly enhance communication between teachers and students, improve student academic achievement, and support future career activities.

In addition, as the Gangwon Airo advancement project is a joint initiative among 11 cities and provinces, the committee considered the phased execution of the budget and reduced the initial allocation from 7.6 billion won by 1.1 billion won, finalizing it at 6.4 billion won.

For the replacement of computers that have reached the end of their service life, although the demand survey for outdated computers submitted by the education office was somewhat insufficient, the urgency of the project was taken into account. As a result, the initial allocation of 12.3 billion won was reduced by 6.4 billion won, setting the final budget at 5.8 billion won.

Additionally, for the project to replace outdated smart devices and bridge the digital divide among students, due to an insufficient demand survey by the Provincial Office of Education, the initial allocation of 9.9 billion won was reduced by 4.5 billion won, resulting in a final allocation of 5.4 billion won.

In line with the preliminary review by the Education Committee, which emphasized the need for comprehensive measures such as improving classroom utilization rates, satisfaction surveys, activation strategies, and better execution methods, the entire initial allocation of 3.9 billion won was cut.

For the textbook support project aimed at ensuring equal educational opportunities and strengthening the accountability of public education, after the preliminary review by the standing committee and the subsequent finalization of textbook payment amounts by the Ministry of Education, the textbook budget was recalculated. The initial allocation of 24.9 billion won was reduced by 3.5 billion won, resulting in a final allocation of 21.4 billion won.

To provide opportunities for students to freely pursue their dreams through diverse career activities and to reduce the financial burden on parents, a project was proposed to provide 200,000 won to each first-year high school student. Although the Education Committee initially cut the entire amount due to concerns about the purchase and resale of items unrelated to career activities, the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts recommended establishing a system to strictly limit the categories of eligible purchases to prevent improper use, and allocated 2.5 billion won for the project.

Choi Seungsun, Chair of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, stated, "Through an in-depth review, this committee has respected the results of the preliminary review by the Education Committee, which reflects the voices from the educational field. At the same time, we have sought to enhance fiscal efficiency by ensuring that secured resources are prioritized for key educational areas such as future education and addressing current issues through budget adjustments."

Meanwhile, this budget proposal, having passed the review of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, is scheduled for final approval at the plenary session on December 12, 2025.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.