'Budget guru' District Mayor Jeong Chang-su delivers special budget lecture to senior staff

Jeong Chang-su, the Gangbuk-gu district mayor in Seoul, was recognized by President Lee Jae Myung as a budget expert and, in effect, strategically nominated as a "name pick." He gave a special budget lecture on Tuesday to senior officials and staff handling budget affairs at the Gangbuk-gu Office's Planning and Situation Room, after an expanded senior staff meeting.

Jeong personally led the lecture, aimed at ensuring rational and efficient budgeting ahead of the 2027 budget process. Such a move is unusual, as it is rare for a local government head to teach a budget lecture in person.

Jeong is a fiscal expert who has studied fiscal and budgetary issues for 28 years, including a stint heading a national fiscal policy research institute. Drawing on that expertise and experience, he laid out the broad direction of next year's budget during the lecture. He covered the central government's fiscal management direction, revisions to local government budget guidelines, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government's budget direction for 2027.

He said departments focused on individual projects can easily lose sight of the overall fiscal picture. As a result, he added, comprehensively reviewing project performance, comparisons with other districts, and clear grounds for implementation should serve as key criteria for budgeting.

"Only when the staff who handle budgets accurately understand fiscal conditions and related guidelines can they draft budgets without unnecessary waste," Jeong said, adding, "I hope every department will work together so that a rational and efficient budget can provide real help to residents' lives."