Exclusive
Yangpyeong Expressway budget at '0' in next year's government proposal... Increase to be discussed in National Assembly

[비즈한국] It has been confirmed that no budget for the Yangpyeong Expressway project has been reflected in the government's 2026 budget proposal. However, the Budget and Settlement Fund Review Subcommittee (Budget Subcommittee) of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee is scheduled to discuss an increase on the 14th.

The Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway project has been halted since former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong declared it "scrapped" in July 2023. This followed allegations that the terminal point was changed to an area near land owned by the family of former President Yoon Suk-yeol's wife. With the allegations unresolved, the project was suspended, and the 12.3 billion won in design fees reflected in the 2024 budget were halved to 6.1 billion won during the National Assembly's deliberation process. However, even that 6.1 billion won could not be executed and was left unused in its entirety. For the 2025 budget, 6.2 billion won was initially earmarked, but it was cut entirely by the National Assembly, resulting in '0' won.

While expectations for the project's resumption have grown since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, where to restart the project has also become a point of contention. As the suspicions regarding the change of the terminal point remain unresolved, there is a possibility that a feasibility study will need to be re-conducted.

Another variable is the high possibility that total project costs will inflate if the feasibility study is redone. This is because rising land compensation costs and construction expenses incurred during the three years of stagnation must be taken into account. The cost of conducting a new feasibility study would also need to be incurred. The total project cost for the Yangpyeong Expressway was 1.7695 trillion won based on the preliminary feasibility study and 2.059 trillion won based on the feasibility study.

The controversy surrounding the Yangpyeong Expressway project erupted after the feasibility study. The core of the allegation is that while the terminal point during the feasibility study was in the Yangseo-myeon area, it was changed to Gangsang-myeon, near land owned by the former president's wife's family, following the study. According to the original plan, an environmental impact assessment was to be conducted after the feasibility study was completed.

The Yangpyeong Expressway budget was not reflected in the 2026 government budget proposal either. However, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Representative Kim Jeong-jae (People Power Party) of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee has requested an increase of approximately 6.3 billion won, and Representative Yoon Jong-gun (Democratic Party of Korea) has requested an increase of approximately 3.3 billion won. The Budget Subcommittee is scheduled to review these increase proposals on the 14th.

A Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official stated, "The Ministry requested the reflection of the budget, but it was not included in the government proposal because the situation has not been resolved. As lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties have requested an increase, it appears the matter of whether to increase the budget will be discussed in the Budget Subcommittee and the standing committee."