Bucheon mayor lobbies National Assembly for cultural, sports funding

Bucheon Mayor Jo Yong-ik has launched a push to secure national government funding for key municipal projects and improvements to the city's cultural and sports infrastructure.

Jo visited the National Assembly on Tuesday and Wednesday, holding back-to-back meetings with nine lawmakers from the Budget and Accounts Committee and major standing committees.

During the meetings, Jo outlined the necessity of the city's priority projects and called for broad administrative and fiscal support from the Assembly.

The mayor's top request centered on cultural infrastructure improvements directly tied to residents' welfare.

Jo asked for national funding for a renovation project at the Bucheon Citizens' Hall, citing the need to prevent safety hazards and provide a better performance environment for audiences and artists.

Jo also stressed the urgency of expanding storage at the Korea Manhwa Museum, which currently holds three of the four comic works designated as nationally registered cultural heritage but has reached full capacity.

"Expanding the storage facility is essential to preserving the historical value of K-comics and webtoons and to safeguarding our cultural heritage for the long term," Jo said.

Jo also urged budget allocations for major international events as part of efforts to strengthen Bucheon's standing as a global cultural city.

Jo called for continued government support for the Bucheon International Comics Festival and the Gyeonggi International Cosplay Festival, both of which draw more than 100,000 visitors annually and help drive the local economy.

Jo also made the case for national funding for the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) and the Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF), pointing to the need to keep pace with rapidly shifting media trends, including the addition of an AI film section.

Alongside these requests, Jo proposed that budget be allocated for a natural-turf field upgrade at Bucheon Stadium, in line with Bucheon FC 1995's promotion to K League 1.

"Securing national funding is an absolute prerequisite for establishing Bucheon's reputation as a cultural city and improving the quality of life for its residents," Jo said.