Chungcheongbuk-do held the "10th Policy Research Service Deliberation Committee of 2026" at the provincial government conference room on September 23, reviewing a total of 31 policy research services (amounting to 3.486 billion won) proposed for the 2027 initial budget and other allocations. Through this process, the province secured the major future directions for the 9th popular election provincial administration across various sectors, the province announced that day.

First, in the science and industry sector, through the [Research Service on Establishing Utilization Plans for Excess Land of the Korea Multipurpose Accelerator], the province aims to move beyond simply managing excess land as residual space. In collaboration with the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) and other organizations, it will establish strategies for advanced spatial arrangement and the attraction of high-tech industries in the Ochang area of Cheongju. The plan is to drive the acquisition of government funding through proactive logic development.

In the transportation sector, breaking away from the conventional approach of making requests after government plans are established, the province will proactively discover core road networks—such as the Jecheon-Yeoju and Bukcheongju-Goesan expressways, and the improvement project for the Chungcheong Inland Expressway (Chungju-Jecheon section)—through the [Research Service for Reflecting New Road Projects in National Plans], actively responding to preliminary demand forecasting and preliminary feasibility studies.

In the environmental sector, through the [Establishment of Implementation Plans for Non-Point Pollution Source Management in the Mihogang River Basin], a 10-year customized comprehensive plan will be established to improve water quality in the Mihogang River basin spanning Cheongju, Jincheon, and Eumseong. By analyzing basin-specific characteristics such as pollutant discharge pathways, non-point pollutants will be intercepted at the source, and fundamental reduction measures will be strongly promoted. This is the first plan of its kind to be established for the systematic management of non-point pollution sources in the Mihogang River, raising expectations that environmental preservation measures tailored to local characteristics will be put in place.

In the youth sector, the province aims to overcome the limitations of supplier-centric, piecemeal support through the [Research Service for Establishing the 9th Popular Election Youth Policy Roadmap]. A customized 5-year mid- to long-term roadmap for jobs and housing will be formulated based on a comprehensive survey of young people. Building on this, the province will realize a "Youth-Led Chungbuk Great Transformation" where young people directly drive policies.

In the agriculture sector, through the [Research Service on the Establishment of the Chungcheongbuk-do Agri-Food Promotion Agency], the province has initiated a feasibility review for the establishment of the "Chungcheongbuk-do Agri-Food Promotion Agency," a dedicated organization that will oversee Chungbuk's agricultural and industrial ecosystem. This preemptive measure is expected to materialize the establishment of the agency to strengthen future agricultural competitiveness.

Meanwhile, this deliberation also focused on blocking financial waste by strictly reviewing the necessity, validity, and citizen accessibility of the research services. As a result of the review, 11 projects were adjusted and 1 reconsidered, achieving budget savings of 720 million won.

"This policy research service deliberation is the starting point for securing concrete implementation strategies for major strategic tasks of the 9th popular election and creating substantial provincial administration achievements," said Lee Dong-ok, Vice Governor for Administration. "Chungcheongbuk-do will steadfastly lead the way in youth support, creating a clean-water environment, establishing a high-tech science infrastructure, fostering future agriculture and industry, and expanding transportation networks in ways that our citizens can tangibly experience."

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]