Planning and Budget Minister Park Hong-keun visits Gijang-gun to discuss local issues with County Mayor Woo Seong-bin

Gijang-gun said Friday that Minister of Planning and Budget Park Hong-keun visited the Gijang-gun office Thursday to discuss local issues with County Mayor Woo Seong-bin.

That day, Park and other senior government officials visited the Gijang-gun Public Health Center to hear firsthand accounts from local health care workers. Woo said the public health center serves as grassroots medical care closest to residents. He stressed that its role has become more important than ever amid rapid aging and called for greater national-level attention to regional health care.

In the meeting that followed, Gijang-gun outlined its major pending projects and requested active government support for its longtime priorities. These include exempting the Gijang-Ilgwang urban rail line from a preliminary feasibility study, breaking ground early on the Jeonggwan Line, relocating and rebuilding the Gijang-gun Public Health Center, and building a youth center to create jobs for local young people.

"Gijang-gun is home to a large cluster of 10 nuclear power plants, so expanding urban rail is essential for the safety of our residents," Woo said. "In line with the principle that special sacrifice requires special compensation, I ask that the government throw its support behind the Gijang urban rail project."

In response, Park said, "As Gijang is growing rapidly, I share the view that urban rail is necessary." He added, "We will closely review the metropolitan rail project in consultation with the Busan city government so that it can be reflected in the government's policymaking process."