Andong submits W1.95tr supplementary budget

Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, has submitted a second supplementary budget for 2026 to the Andong City Council, increasing spending by 150 billion won ($106 million) from the original budget to 1.95 trillion won, the city announced Tuesday.

The general account rose by 157 billion won from the original budget to 1.77 trillion won, while the special account — which includes water and sewage public enterprises — was cut by 7 billion won to 180 billion won.

The budget allocates 1.8 billion won in emergency repair funds for rivers and other urgent flood-recovery work following the heavy rains that struck in July.

Additional funds address the ongoing recovery from last year's major wildfire: 5.3 billion won for underground power-line installation to prevent future wildfires, 2.9 billion won in emergency living-support payments for social disaster victims, 2.1 billion won to restore cultural heritage sites damaged by the fire, and 1.5 billion won to repair village roads in wildfire-affected areas.

To ease the burden of high fuel prices and rising living costs on residents and the local economy, the budget also includes 28.8 billion won in high fuel-price victim support funds, 8.5 billion won to support the issuance of local gift certificates, and 2.2 billion won in fuel subsidies for the transportation industry.

Alongside this, the budget covers 1.3 billion won to subsidize a 50 percent reduction in household water bills, 1.3 billion won to compensate for revenue losses from free public transit for senior citizens and others, 7.4 billion won to build rental smart farms, 3.7 billion won for a project to redevelop the Andong Station site, and 4.6 billion won for pine wilt disease control.

"This supplementary budget focuses on swiftly restoring damage from the heavy rains and wildfires, and on providing real, practical help to residents, small business owners and farmers struggling with high fuel prices and the rising cost of living," Mayor Kwon Ki-chang said.