Gangwon Governor Woo Sang-ho States Positions on Affiliated Agency Heads, Public Institutions and Gangwon FC

【Financial News Chuncheon = Reporter Kim Ki-seop】Woo Sang-ho, Governor of Gangwon State, stated his positions on regional issues, including aligning the terms of affiliated agency heads, a comprehensive audit of operating expenses, the second relocation of public institutions, and the venues for Gangwon FC home matches.
At a regular press briefing held at the Gangwon State Government on the 7th, Governor Woo cited securing KRW 11.123 trillion in national funding, a KRW 500 billion investment agreement for the Goseong Haesolia Tourist Complex, and the passage of nine projects in the sixth preliminary feasibility study for national roads and national local roads as his administration’s achievements. Regarding the national funding, he said, "We secured KRW 423 billion more than the target set by the state," adding that he would seek additional funding at the budget policy consultation meeting on the 14th.
He reaffirmed his position on aligning the terms of heads of affiliated agencies. Governor Woo said, "Since my time as a member of the National Assembly, I have believed that the terms of elected public officials chosen through direct elections and those of term-based agency heads they appoint should be aligned." He added, "There is no way to forcibly dismiss those whose terms are guaranteed, but I will certainly enact an ordinance during my term to complete the alignment of terms." Regarding some agency heads expressing their intention to resign, he drew a distinction, saying, "I was not targeting any particular person; I was speaking about a general principle of democracy."
Governor Woo also explained the background to the comprehensive audit of operating expenses at affiliated investment and contribution-funded agencies. He said, "Reports have continued to emerge concerning the operating expenses of several agency heads, and some of them appear to be true." He added, "I ordered the audit because I judged that these practices needed to be improved if they were common among affiliated agencies." He continued, "At central government ministries and the presidential office, all operating expenses are disclosed and used so strictly that working-level officials must immediately return any amount that violates the rules." He pointed out, "If Gangwon State’s investment and contribution-funded agencies used such funds for personal purposes or outside the regulations, that would be a serious problem." He said, "The purpose of this comprehensive audit is to restore awareness of the issue, and if serious problems are uncovered, we will consider taking appropriate measures."
Regarding the second relocation of public institutions, he emphasized the principle of prioritizing designated innovation cities. He said, "The president has publicly instructed that additional institutions be relocated to places designated as innovation cities, so this cannot be changed." He added that he had explained to Kim Jungnam, the mayor of Gangneung, "There is no possibility that the region will change simply because metropolitan or local government heads campaign for it." He continued, "The number of public institutions coming to Gangwon State will not be large, and they will not be dispersed across multiple areas." He also said he would hold a meeting with the heads of public institutions that have already relocated to Wonju so they could contribute more to regional development.
Regarding his order to reconsider the decision just one day after Gangwon FC’s home-match venue was finalized as Gangneung, he explained, "I believed that resolving the long-standing regional conflict was more important." Gangneung supporters and others had previously protested, pointing to procedural problems with reconsidering the decision only a day after the venue was finalized. Governor Woo said, "Because the bidding process moved forward so quickly, Chuncheon City and Gangwon FC did not have enough time to coordinate the conditions, and Chuncheon nearly lost its opportunity to host the matches." He added, "As the club owner, I ordered a reconsideration so that matches could be held in both Gangneung and Chuncheon." Regarding the backlash from Gangneung fans, he said, "Please understand this as a decision intended to make the club loved throughout Gangwon State, rather than limiting it to a particular city."

[email protected] Kim Ki-seop Reporter