Gyeonggi Governor Vows to Protect Livelihood Budget Amid Fiscal Strain

SUWON — Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae said on Oct. 13 that the province will protect livelihood spending tied directly to residents' lives even under difficult fiscal conditions, speaking at a National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee audit of the province held at the provincial government office.

In her opening remarks, Choo said 100 days had passed since she took office on July 1. As governor responsible for the lives of 14.2 million Gyeonggi residents, she said, she feels a heavy sense of duty and has been reviewing both current provincial issues and future challenges.

Choo identified overcoming the fiscal crisis as the most urgent task. The province's total population grew by about 300,000 over the past four years, she said, while the population aged 65 and over increased by 600,000. Last year, more than 77,000 babies were born in the province, the most of any region in the country.

"The welfare demand we must shoulder is enormous, from elder care to childbirth and child care," she said. "It would not be an overstatement to say Gyeonggi Province bears a substantial share of welfare in South Korea."

Choo also pointed to structural limits in local government finances. More than half of the province's roughly 16 trillion won ($11.2 billion) in local tax revenue depends on property acquisition taxes, she said, describing it as a structure in which spending needs keep rising while the revenue base remains unstable.

"The time has come to fundamentally change this fiscal structure," she said. "We are focusing on cutting non-essential spending while protecting essential livelihood budgets tied directly to residents' lives."

Choo said she would devote herself to overhauling the local tax system and reforming the fiscal structure to secure a stable revenue base. Addressing the committee members, she asked for close attention and active support so the province can overcome the difficulties it faces.

She also laid out a growth strategy. "We will secure a decisive competitive edge in the semiconductor industry, the core of South Korea's economy, and create new growth engines by nurturing advanced industries such as artificial intelligence and future mobility," she said.

She added that the province would also put effort into expanding metropolitan transport networks including the GTX, developing northern Gyeonggi, reviving the local economy and strengthening welfare and care services. She pledged to do her utmost so that the province's development translates into national competitiveness and returns to residents as better lives.