Ulsan Nam-gu (Mayor Dong-wook Seo) has confirmed a budget of KRW 715.6 billion to realize “A Happier Change for a Greater Nam-gu” in 2026.

The district announced that the 2026 main budget bill, which reflects an increase of KRW 27 billion (3.93%) compared to this year’s KRW 688.6 billion, was finally confirmed after passing the plenary session of the Nam-gu Council on the 11th.

This marks the first time the annual budget has exceeded KRW 700 billion.

The 2026 Ulsan Nam-gu budget shows an expansion in total scale, with independent financial resources such as local taxes increasing by KRW 0.61 billion and state/city subsidies increasing by KRW 2.21 billion.

However, actual available financial resources have decreased due to rising labor costs, surging welfare demands, and the burden of district expenses resulting from the expansion of national projects.

Accordingly, Nam-gu promoted high-intensity structural adjustments to manage finances efficiently and improve fiscal soundness.

Nam-gu actively identified and abolished ‘sunset projects’ (initiatives where goals were achieved or completed), merged similar or overlapping projects, and boldly reduced wasteful budget items.

In addition, the district maximized fiscal efficiency by reducing current expenses through system improvements and adjusting the priorities and timing of investment projects.

Nevertheless, Nam-gu maintained a policy of unwavering investment in projects essential for the happiness and quality of life of residents across fields such as safety, culture, economy, and welfare.

Looking at major expenditure areas, in the disaster and accident prevention sector for residents’ daily safety, the budget includes: KRW 4.95 billion for rainwater outflow reduction facilities in the Jeonggol district, KRW 1.1 billion for maintenance of the Sinjeong 3 natural disaster risk improvement district, KRW 500 million for creating a heatwave shelter at Samsan Reservoir, and KRW 380 million for storm/flood/earthquake insurance and residents’ living safety insurance.

To create a cultural tourism city where history, culture, and tourism harmonize, the budget allocates: KRW 4.3 billion for Southern Region wide-area tourism development, KRW 1.5 billion for “The Wave” project, and KRW 1.4 billion for the construction of the Nam-gu Complex Sports Facility.

Active investment was also made for economic vitality and recovery of the people’s livelihood: KRW 4.2 billion for eco-friendly school meal support, KRW 770 million for alley commercial district fostering and small business support, KRW 470 million for the Youth Challenge Support Project, and KRW 1.5 billion for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and small business management stabilization funds (allocated to the SME Fostering Fund).

To build sustainable and pleasant urban infrastructure, the budget reflects: KRW 3.06 billion for the construction of the Bandabi Ice Rink Complex, KRW 2.1 billion for street and security light maintenance, KRW 1.4 billion for cadastral resurvey projects, and KRW 1 billion for the creation of the Taehwagang Grass Garden.

The welfare sector, aimed at realizing a warm welfare city, accounts for 59% of the total budget.

Major projects include: Basic Pension (KRW 123.0 billion), Livelihood and Housing Benefits (KRW 63.5 billion), Childcare Fees and Parental Benefits (KRW 64.6 billion), Child Allowance (KRW 14.9 billion), and Childbirth and Child-rearing Grants (KRW 1.43 billion).

In the sector for establishing convenient transportation facilities for all, allocations include: KRW 2.88 billion for the public parking lot under Dongpyeong Park, KRW 1 billion for bus stop installation and management, and KRW 320 million for the installation of unmanned enforcement systems for illegal parking/stopping.

In the health sector to protect residents’ health, the budget includes: KRW 6.2 billion for National Immunization and COVID-19 vaccinations, KRW 1.4 billion for maternal and newborn health management support, and KRW 970 million for infertility procedure support.

Mayor Dong-wook Seo stated, “Even under difficult financial conditions, we will leap forward to a greater Nam-gu by investing in a balanced manner in urban growth and lifestyle-oriented projects,” adding, “We will do our best to provide better value to residents who hope for a happy life in 2026.”