The Ministry of Economy and Finance drew a line on the 31st regarding the "10 trillion essential supplementary budget," saying, "It is not for the purpose of stimulating the economy."
Spokesperson Kang Young-kyu noted during a regular briefing held that afternoon at the Government Sejong Center that in response to a reporter's question, "Isn't 10 trillion won insufficient to stimulate the economy?" he said, "The basic concept itself is to solve urgent issues at hand, and the most decisive factor is the wildfires."
Spokesperson Kang said, "We are in a situation where we need to recover from wildfire damage and also resolve trade issues. We determined that some assistance is necessary for struggling small businesses," adding, "It is not for economic response."
Regarding the government's decision on the supplementary budget, he said, "In early April, the U.S. imposed reciprocal tariffs, and the wildfire situation was so severe that Deputy Prime Minister Sang-mok judged that the economic conditions were worrying." He added, "After visiting the wildfire damage site urgently, I thought we needed to take action for wildfire recovery, and talked about it on Friday (the 28th), leading us to prepare the supplementary budget."
Regarding the size of the supplementary budget, he stated, "It does not mean that it is fixed at 10 trillion won," but added, "The government has determined that this amount is necessary."
Regarding the timeline for pushing forward the supplementary budget, he said, "If both parties agree, we will prepare it as soon as possible after consulting with relevant ministries, and quickly submit it to the National Assembly following an extraordinary Cabinet meeting."
He mentioned that only the area of "wildfire response," which is expected to reach consensus between the parties, will be prioritized, and concerning the trade and livelihood parts, he said regarding the "two-phase supplementary budget" that, "If the parties agree during the National Assembly discussion process, the government can accept it under the premise of quickly pushing forward."