North Gyeongsang Province, lawmakers and 22 cities unite to secure 2027 national budget

North Gyeongsang Province has launched a joint "budget camp" with local lawmakers and all 22 cities and counties in the province to secure national government funding for 2027, kicking off a full-scale push ahead of the National Assembly's budget review.

The province held a signboard-unveiling ceremony Wednesday at the office of People Power Party lawmaker Song Eon-seog, who represents Gimcheon and sits on the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Song and senior provincial civil servants attended the event.

The province plans to focus on securing national funding for major infrastructure projects that have cleared preliminary feasibility reviews — including the Daegu-North Gyeongsang metropolitan railway (Seodaegu to Uiseong) and a highway crossing Yeongil Bay — as well as new-growth projects in physical AI and semiconductors.

The province also intends to identify region-specific projects tied to the central government's "Three Mega-Projects for South Korea's Great Leap Forward" initiative, and to coordinate with local politicians and the 22 cities and counties to ensure priority projects are reflected during the National Assembly's budget deliberations.

The budget camp will operate until the government's budget bill passes the National Assembly plenary session. Its responsibilities include responding to standing committee and budget committee proceedings, providing briefing materials on key projects, supporting budget reviews, and coordinating visits by provincial and municipal officials to the National Assembly.

"We have built a strong case for securing national funds, centering on projects that align with the government's policy direction and the province's new-growth strategy while offering both efficiency and future growth potential," Governor Lee said. "We will work closely with central government ministries and other agencies to ensure that the core budget needed to stabilize livelihoods and usher in a new era of regional development is reflected as fully as possible during the National Assembly review."