The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 25th it will solicit proposals for 2026 regional development projects to foster regional growth hubs to realize national policy goals such as balanced growth of small and medium-sized cities.
This call will be conducted in two tracks: investment-leading districts, which provide up to 10 billion won in state funds and 73 types of regulatory exceptions, and region-specific demand support aimed at improving living conditions for residents in underdeveloped areas. Since the regional development project call began in 2015, 220 projects have been selected to provide tailored support.
Investment-leading districts are projects to invigorate private investment and cultivate growth hubs by supporting regional specialization such as tourism and industry. This year, around five locations will be selected, focusing on convergence hubs linking metropolitan transportation networks and strategic industries, projects that utilize region-specific resources, and inter-municipal cooperation projects. Eligible areas for investment-leading districts are basic local governments outside the Seoul metropolitan area and Jeju Island, and they are classified into development-promotion type (underdeveloped areas; up to 10 billion won in state support) and hub-cultivation type (areas other than underdeveloped areas).
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) will streamline the required documents starting with this call to ease preparation burdens, while strengthening the review by focusing on feasibility, including whether project implementers are finalized, the status of site acquisition, and financing plans.
Region-specific demand support is a program to restore urban functions such as living services for residents in underdeveloped areas and improve settlement conditions, selecting around 15 locations and providing up to 3 billion won per project.
Going forward, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) will not stop at building infrastructure but will put weight on projects that residents actually use. It will focus support on operating programs to activate existing facilities, supplementing living services to restore urban functions, and linkage projects in which adjacent cities and counties share benefits.
In particular, areas at high risk of extinction designated as regional revitalization areas will receive additional points during selection to prioritize the most urgent locations, and projects in which two or more cities or counties participate together will receive additional budgets for each city and county to induce lifestyle-area cooperation that crosses administrative boundaries.
Shin Gwang-ho, director-general for land policy, said, "What matters in the face of the regional extinction crisis is creating jobs through regional investment and rebuilding a livable environment," adding, "We will swiftly screen and push forward ready projects, and boldly support cooperation projects between areas at risk of extinction and cities and counties so that vitality becomes visible across local communities."
Detailed information on the call can be found on the Regional Development Information System. Starting with a briefing session for local governments on the 27th, the process will include pre-consulting, document and on-site reviews, and a comprehensive evaluation, with investment-leading districts to be selected at the end of Jun., and region-specific demand support projects at the end of Jul.