South Korean municipalities Eunpyeong-gu and Uijeongbu approve 2026 supplementary budgets

South Korean local governments in Eunpyeong-gu and Uijeongbu have finalized their supplementary budget plans for 2026, focusing on welfare, transportation, and fiscal adjustments.

Eunpyeong-gu has increased its total budget to approximately 1.33 trillion KRW, a rise of nearly 40 billion KRW. More than half of this increase consists of funds to be returned to national and city governments, such as unused subsidies for basic pensions and consumer coupons. The budget also includes increases for child benefits, livelihood benefits, and disability support. However, a proposed 35 million KRW increase for newspaper subscription support and media monitoring has faced criticism regarding potential ties between government and media.

Uijeongbu has confirmed a total budget of approximately 1.76 trillion KRW following the approval of an 84.1 billion KRW supplementary budget. The city is prioritizing public transportation infrastructure, allocating 11.5 billion KRW to establish a public management system for city buses. Other key allocations include 6.9 billion KRW for free school meals, 4.6 billion KRW for basic pensions, and 1.6 billion KRW to support the Uijeongbu Love Card to stimulate the local economy.