Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho holds press briefing Monday
Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho cited securing 11 trillion won ($8.12 billion) in national budget allocations as his top achievement in his first two months in office, speaking at a press briefing at the provincial government Monday.
Woo said the Democratic Party of Korea's supreme council, led by party leader Kim Min-seok, is set to convene in Gangwon Province on Sept. 14, and that lawmaker Lee Gwang-jae — a former Gangwon governor — chairs the National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Committee. He said he would work to ensure the secured 11.12 trillion won is not reduced during the Assembly's budget adjustment process, and would actively lobby for additional national funding on top of that.
Woo also cited expanded private investment in border areas and the passage of preliminary feasibility reviews for nine national and local road projects as other achievements during his first two months in office.
He also highlighted a deal signed last month to develop the Haesollria tourism complex in Goseong — a project spanning about 2.4 million square meters with 500 billion won in investment — saying the area, once defined by security concerns, is transforming into a destination for investment.
"The fact that 500 billion won in private capital is flowing into Goseong, Gangwon Province, is itself a signal that the future of the border region is changing," Woo said. "New investment is taking place in areas where military regulations have been lifted."
He added that plans are under way to push back the Civilian Control Line, saying the change, if confirmed, would bring new developments and redraw the map of the region.
Asked about a sharp rise in debt among self-employed residents in Gangwon Province, Woo said the province faces structural challenges that will require sustained effort to address, as consumer spending depends on population and income growth — neither of which can increase quickly. He said a multilateral agreement recently signed in Seoul with financial institutions, regulatory bodies and others to support financially vulnerable residents would help, as it links financial assistance with employment and welfare support in a single framework.
The MOU — signed among Gangwon Province, the Financial Services Commission, the Korea Inclusive Finance Agency, the Credit Counseling and Recovery Service, and Shinhan Bank — covers community-based integrated support cooperation, infrastructure support and education and outreach to expand mobile support services, establishment of a public-private joint center, and the launch of specialized financial products.
The agreement was designed to support the economic self-sufficiency of low-income and vulnerable residents by linking financial assistance with employment and welfare services, and to improve access to financial services for Gangwon residents who face difficulties due to the province's vast geographic spread.
"The difficulties faced by vulnerable groups cannot be resolved through financial support alone," Woo said at the signing ceremony. "I hope this agreement — which connects finance with employment and welfare to support genuine economic independence — will serve as a solid foundation for struggling residents to get back on their feet."
He added that the province would strengthen outreach counseling and promotion so that no resident misses out on support simply because they are unaware of it, and would work to ensure people can feel the tangible benefits on the ground.
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