Jinju City Formulates Large-Scale Supplementary Budget to Expand Old Downtown and Transportation Infrastructure

An Increase of 308.7 Billion Won
Key Pledges and Major Projects Incorporated
Awaiting Deliberation by City Council

Jinju City in South Gyeongsang Province has formulated the first supplementary budget bill for 2026, amounting to 2.2487 trillion won, an increase of 308.7 billion won compared to this year's original budget, and submitted it to the Jinju City Council on August 14.

This supplementary budget is 15.9% larger than the original budget of 1.94 trillion won. Jinju City explained that it has allocated funding based on changes and additions in national and provincial subsidy projects, projects selected through public contests, and the results of the 2025 fiscal year settlement. The budget also accounts for the phased implementation of the 9th popularly elected administration’s pledges and major pending projects.

In particular, the city focused on expanding public investments in roads, transportation, and construction, and included projects aimed at revitalizing the old downtown and supporting the local economy. The supplementary budget also includes expenditures approved for use before official adoption, such as 41.5 billion won for high oil price relief payments and 34.3 billion won for living support for South Gyeongsang Province residents.

[Photo provided by Jinju City] Jinju City has prepared the first supplementary budget for 2026 amounting to 2.2487 trillion won, which is an increase of 308.7 billion won compared to the original budget for this year, and submitted it to the Jinju City Council. Panoramic view of Jinju City Hall

By accounting category, general accounts increased by 277.4 billion won to 1.919 trillion won, and special accounts increased by 31.3 billion won to 329.7 billion won compared to the original budget.

The main funding sources are local allocation tax, national and provincial subsidies, and net surplus funds. The city plans to allocate the additionally secured funds to major pending projects and projects matched with national and provincial budgets.

Major projects with an increase or newly established budget allocation of over 2 billion won include: ▲ Green Bio Venture Campus construction project – 8.06 billion won ▲ Support for Sugok, Dongbu, and Geumsan Agricultural Cooperative Produce Distribution Centers (Smart APC) – 5.23 billion won ▲ Remodeling idle and closed factories in industrial complexes into youth entrepreneurship spaces – 5.1 billion won ▲ Fuel subsidies for commercial vehicles – 5 billion won ▲ Chiram-dong public parking lot construction – 4.9 billion won ▲ Jinju station area public parking tower construction – 4.76 billion won.

Other initiatives include: ▲ Wolla Mountain Healing Forest construction – 4.1 billion won ▲ Jinyang Lake urban forest family healing center – 4.09 billion won ▲ Construction of South Gyeongsang Provincial Aerospace Science Museum – 4.07 billion won ▲ Renovation of aging water purification plants – 4 billion won ▲ Construction of Road No. 27 between New Jinju Station Area and Jeongchon Maedong – 3.5 billion won ▲ Opening of an urban planned road at the former Jinju Station – 3.5 billion won ▲ Distribution of electric vehicles – 3.29 billion won ▲ Namgang riverside campground and pet playground construction – 3.2 billion won.

Additionally, the budget includes: ▲ Multipurpose cultural center construction – 3 billion won ▲ Jinju Creative N Cultural Center construction – 3 billion won ▲ Installation of public parking lot at Pyeonggeo-dong Resort – 3 billion won ▲ Myeongseok district sports facility construction – 3 billion won ▲ Sangdae district urban regeneration – 2.73 billion won ▲ Construction of an urban planned road near Hanbo Town in Pyeonggeo-dong – 2.3 billion won ▲ Creation of a cultural street at the former Jinju Station – 2.2 billion won ▲ Wolla Mountain local garden construction – 2.2 billion won ▲ Developing the old downtown into a tourism alleyway hotspot – 2 billion won, among others.

In the area of roads and transportation, the approved budget covers projects such as widening the road from the former Geumsan Agriculture Cooperative to Songbaek, widening and paving roads around Wolla Mountain Forest's Jinju area, road improvements from the rotary in front of Jinju Girls’ Middle School to Deoksan Apartments, building a connecting road between Munsan and Sinchon on National Route 2, parking facilities around Wing Tower, and constructing a public parking tower near the old downtown.

For tourism, culture, and sports, the budget includes funding for designating Jinyang Lake as a national urban park, establishing the Jinyang Lake Zoo, developing lakeside walking trails at Jinyang Lake, creating a cultural and history park in Sangbong-dong, expanding the Songbaek District park golf course, building an indoor foot volleyball court at Modeok Sports Park, and operating historical and cultural tourism courses in the old downtown area.

For industry, youth, and welfare, the budget covers projects such as establishing a full-cycle standardization hub for natural material resources, constructing a children's welfare center in Hadae-dong, renovating outdated residential areas in Munsan-eup, developing youth-specialized housing, and conducting design and research studies for the second phase relocation of public institutions, as part of major pledges and key initiatives.

Efforts to revitalize the old downtown are also being pushed forward. The city included budget for relocating some city hall departments to the old downtown, supporting local themed commercial districts, holding Jinju’s signature food festival, as well as operational funding for soon-to-be-completed facilities such as the Youth Hub House (youth hostel) and Jinju Harmoneum.

Mayor Cho Gyu-il of Jinju City stated, "This supplementary budget is based on local allocation tax and net surplus funds. We will efficiently manage these limited resources so that they translate into local consumption and investment, thereby revitalizing the regional economy and advancing key municipal projects."

The first supplementary budget bill for 2026 submitted by Jinju City is scheduled to be finalized through deliberation and resolution at the 276th regular session of the Jinju City Council.

If the supplementary budget bill is approved by the council, Jinju City plans to use the secured funds to gradually implement key projects focused on expanding infrastructure such as roads and transportation, revitalizing the old downtown, and major projects in the fields of industry, tourism, and welfare.

Given the large-scale nature of this supplementary budget, there is a need to ensure that budget execution is not merely about expanding projects, but that it also delivers tangible benefits to citizens and economic impact to the local community.

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