Uljin-gun chief meets President Lee Jae Myung in Cheongsong, pitches 3 key regional projects

Uljin-gun Chief Hwang Yi-ju met President Lee Jae Myung in Cheongsong to propose three key projects directly tied to Uljin's future development and residents' lives, requesting government support.

According to Uljin-gun, Hwang met Lee on Saturday in Jinbo-myeon, Cheongsong-gun, where the president had traveled to visit a pilot rural basic income project site. Hwang proposed that Uljin-gun be selected for the rural basic income pilot program, that an expressway be built connecting Cheongsong IC to Hupo in Uljin, and that National Route 36 be widened to four lanes.

On the rural basic income proposal, Hwang said Uljin has contributed to national industrial growth and energy security through an energy base equivalent to 10 nuclear power plants.

Hwang also said that by drawing on the fiscal foundation tied to nuclear power plant operations, Uljin could build a model for sustaining basic income payments even after the pilot program ends.

Transportation infrastructure was the second major item on Hwang's agenda.

Hwang said the expressway linking Cheongsong IC to Hupo would serve as a transport corridor connecting the inland region to the Donghae coast, improving access to Uljin and contributing to tourism growth, business attraction and logistics.

On the widening of National Route 36, Hwang said the project was not merely a matter of traffic convenience but essential infrastructure for residents' safety and lives.

Given that Uljin hosts major national energy facilities including nuclear power plants, Hwang said the county needs a reliable system for rapid resident evacuation and emergency transport in the event of a disaster or emergency.

Lee showed interest in the proposals and expressed particular interest in the Cheongsong IC–Hupo expressway project, directly asking about its estimated cost.

"Uljin has supported South Korea's industrial growth and energy security through an energy base equivalent to 10 nuclear power plants," Hwang said. "It is now time for Uljin, which has contributed to national development, to receive meaningful support for the safety and wellbeing of its residents."

Hwang added, "We will work to develop the rural basic income into a sustainable policy and contribute to regional and balanced national development through the expressway connection and the widening of National Route 36."