Changwon Special City to Reinvest 51.1 Billion Won in Budget Savings Into Public Welfare Next Year

"Routine and Unnecessary Project Improvement Report Meeting" Held
Inefficient Projects to Be Reviewed from the Ground Up

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam has implemented a groundbreaking shift in administrative thinking by deciding to reinvest tax savings—amounting to a total of 51.1 billion won, including a projected 4.8 billion won saved next year—back into essential public services.

The city has taken decisive steps to eliminate unnecessary projects that have continued out of habit, turning its focus toward "citizen-centered administration" by prioritizing "budget savings" as a new core value in city governance.

A 'Routine and Unnecessary Projects Reorganization Report Meeting' was held under the chairmanship of Mayor Ki-Yun Kang.
[Photo by Changwon City]

On September 14, the city held a "Routine and Unnecessary Project Improvement Report Meeting" in the third conference room at City Hall, chaired by Mayor Kang Ki-yoon. Organized by the city’s Strategic Coordination Office, this fiscal innovation initiative saw the voluntary participation of all city departments, making it especially significant because it identified and addressed internal administrative inefficiencies through hands-on involvement.

This initiative reflected Mayor Kang Ki-yoon’s administrative philosophy: “A sense of responsibility and the traces of careful consideration that no single won of citizens’ precious tax money should be wasted must be embedded throughout the administration, just as one would manage a household budget.” In line with this, each department identified a total of 68 projects habitually included in the budget to be targeted for review and potential discontinuation.

Through these measures, the city expects to immediately save about 4.8 billion won in next year's main budget, and to generate ongoing annual savings, resulting in a cumulative total of 51.1 billion won that can be used as vital resources for the welfare of its citizens.

One of the main cases cited was the bold integration of similar or overlapping festivals, which had previously led to duplicate spending on venue setup and other expenses. For example, by merging the previously separate "Changwon Lifelong Learning Science Festival" and "Changwon Book Festa," the city will reduce redundant costs and streamline the budget.

Mayor Kang Ki-yoon particularly addressed the habitual commissioning of research projects, stating, “It is the epitome of wasteful spending when multiple departments independently commission similar research. I instruct all departments to actively utilize existing research outcomes and to boldly consolidate or eliminate overlapping research projects among departments in order to maximize budget efficiency.”

He also emphasized, “Our vision of a ‘citizens first’ administration starts with a strict sense of responsibility that every budget line is ‘the citizens’ precious property.’ Based on this awareness, we must drive a paradigm shift by decisively breaking away from entrenched practices and gradually innovate every aspect of our work with new perspectives and a spirit of challenge.”

While this report meeting mainly focused on reducing unnecessary expenditures, the city plans to establish a “virtuous fiscal cycle” by reinvesting the savings into initiatives that have a tangible positive impact for its residents.

Mayor Kang Ki-yoon expressed his gratitude, stating, “I am thankful that, despite this being a new initiative, our staff have proactively identified projects for streamlining and joined the drive for innovation with the goal of saving citizens’ tax money. Budget savings are not just about reducing numbers but represent a process of strengthening administrative responsibility. Going forward, we will continuously innovate city administration with the guiding principle that our citizens always come first.”

It is hoped that the taxes saved through Changwon City’s groundbreaking budget reduction efforts will be carefully used to benefit citizens where they are most needed.

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