Gyeongju City Council closes 299th extraordinary session

The Gyeongju City Council in North Gyeongsang Province held the second plenary session of its 299th extraordinary session Thursday, wrapping up an 11-day legislative schedule.

Before the plenary session, three lawmakers delivered five-minute free speeches. Choi Jae-pil spoke on the need to expedite the relocation and development of Cheonbuk-myeon Huimang Farm; Lee Gang-hui addressed the need to build power and water supply infrastructure to attract businesses to Gyeongju; and Choi Jin-yeol spoke on the severity of parking shortages in the Hwango, Seonggon and Hwangseong-dong areas and possible solutions.

The plenary session then deliberated on 13 agenda items, including the first supplementary budget bill for 2026, the first amendment to the 2026 fund management plan, five ordinance bills, one consent bill, one regulation bill and four amendments to shared-property management plans.

Among the items, the first supplementary budget bill for 2026 and an ordinance on the establishment and management of Gyeongju's general industrial complexes were passed with amendments, while the remaining items were approved as originally proposed.

With the passage of the supplementary budget, Gyeongju's total budget for the year was set at 2.325 trillion won ($1.6 billion) — an increase of 225 billion won over the original 2.1 trillion won. The city's fund management budget was also expanded by 17.1 billion won, from 254.5 billion won to 271.6 billion won.

Council Speaker Im Hwal urged city officials to ensure the approved funds are spent effectively. "I hope the administration will do its utmost to execute the confirmed budget in a way that supports the stability of residents' daily lives and revitalizes the local economy," he said. "The Gyeongju City Council will also continuously monitor the progress of projects and budget execution to ensure that the will of the citizens is faithfully reflected in city governance."