Gyeongbuk Province has selected five key projects encompassing social overhead capital (SOC) initiatives and cutting-edge industry projects to secure national funding for next year. This strategy links transportation infrastructure expansion with the digital transformation of the region's key manufacturing industries, and is expected to contribute to Gyeongbuk's future growth engines and balanced national development.

What Are the Five Key Projects?

The five projects selected by Gyeongbuk Province are: the Yeongilman cross-section highway; the construction of Ulleung Airport; a food-tech regional innovation cluster in the smart food manufacturing sector; the demonstration and dissemination of a Korean AI specialized model based on regional industrial data; and the establishment of the Gyeongju APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Diplomatic and Cultural Center. Gyeongbuk Province emphasized that these projects go beyond simple regional development and are national core projects that will lead a paradigm shift in South Korea's industry and balanced territorial development.

Governor Lee Cheol-woo Requests National Funding from the Ministry of Economy and Finance

Gyeongbuk Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo met with Minister of Economy and Finance Park Hong-geun at the Korea Institute of Public Finance in Seoul on the 5th, requesting active government financial support to reflect the five projects in the 2027 national investment budget.

At this meeting, Governor Lee explained that regional issues—such as completing the transportation network along the East Coast axis, improving accessibility to island areas, building a cutting-edge industry (AI and food-tech) ecosystem, and carrying on the legacy of the APEC Summit—are directly linked to the nation's future competitiveness.

Top Priority: 'Yeongilman Cross-Highway'

The Yeongilman cross-section highway, presented as the top priority by Gyeongbuk Province, is a project that connects the disconnected section of the East Coast highway network to improve access to industrial and logistics facilities in the East Coast, including Pohang. Gyeongbuk Province proposed the inclusion of national funding to pursue the project using a turnkey method, in which design and construction proceed simultaneously in 2027.

Regarding the construction of Ulleung Airport, the province emphasized the need for stable government financial support and timely opening to improve transportation convenience for island residents and strengthen territorial sovereignty.

Leading Future Industries with Food-Tech and Manufacturing AI

Through the establishment of the food-tech regional innovation cluster, the province proposed a plan to enhance the export competitiveness of K-food and link it with production automation of food companies, overseas certification, marketing, and the training of specialized personnel.

The manufacturing AI specialized model demonstration and dissemination project aims to develop a Korean AI model using production data from Gyeongbuk's key industries, such as steel and secondary batteries. The goal is to expand into intelligent autonomous manufacturing through the establishment of an industrial data hub and AI demonstrations in actual manufacturing processes.

The Gyeongju APEC Diplomatic and Cultural Center is a follow-up project to the APEC Summit held in Gyeongju last year, with a plan to preserve related diplomatic and cultural content and serve as a hub for international exchange and global cooperation.

Governor Lee: "Gyeongbuk's Future Growth Engine Is the Nation's Competitiveness"

Governor Lee Cheol-woo stated, "Gyeongbuk bears all the national core tasks of national security, cutting-edge industry, and balanced regional development," adding, "The advancement of the SOC trunk network and the establishment of a new industry ecosystem such as AI and food-tech are Gyeongbuk's future growth engines and the key to national competitiveness." He continued, "I ask for the full support of the Ministry of Economy and Finance."

Starting with this meeting, Gyeongbuk Province plans to continue consultations with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and maintain a close cooperation system with regional National Assembly members until the government's budget bill is submitted to the National Assembly, making every effort to secure national funding.

However, Gyeongbuk Province did not specifically disclose the total project cost for the five projects or the amount of national funding requested for each project in 2027. It plans to continue discussions with relevant ministries regarding project feasibility and annual investment scale during the government's future budget formulation process.