The first budget proposal of the Lee Jae-myung administration passed the National Assembly on the 2nd. The aggregates of next year's 728 trillion won budget submitted by the government were maintained, but 430 billion won was cut during the Assembly's review, and another 430 billion won in different items was inserted in its place. Excluding the 110 billion won in equity contribution to the Korea-U.S. Strategic Investment Corporation, 320 billion won was money pushed in by both parties. Not a small share of such funds was allocated to constituency projects of heavyweight lawmakers from both parties. It is the so-called "note budget."
◇ Ruling party floor leader, senior deputy floor leader, budget committee chair, secretary, secretary-general, and others secure constituency funds
A Democratic Party of Korea general meeting of lawmakers was held on the 2nd ahead of the budget vote in the National Assembly plenary session. Kim Byung-kee, the party's floor leader, said, "One item for our district's budget was left out," while adding, "I am deeply grateful to the budget committee members." In Kim's constituency of Dongjak-gap in Seoul, 200 million won was added for the construction of the Sajaaam Buddhist Traditional Culture Center.
Moon Jin-seok, the senior deputy floor leader who is embroiled in a personnel solicitation controversy, increased by tens of billions of won the funds for constituency projects in Cheonan-gap, South Chungcheong, including 5 billion won for the Dong-myeon, Cheonan–Jincheon national highway construction and 1.8 billion won for the Cheonan Eco Valley industrial complex access road.
Han Byung-do, a lawmaker who chairs the Assembly's budget committee and represents Iksan-eul in North Jeolla, brought in 1.4 billion won for installing a public livestock manure treatment facility and 1 billion won for expanding Iksan Station and building a skyway parking lot. Lee So-young, the committee's secretary and lawmaker for Gwacheon in Gyeonggi, also increased to 7.16 billion won the operating budget for the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's Gwacheon branch, a constituency project.
Park Soo-hyun, the Democratic Party of Korea's senior Spokesperson, secured 15 billion won for artificial intelligence (AI) in his South Chungcheong constituency. That includes 1 billion won for the "South Chungcheong AX grand transition" project planning costs and 14 billion won for a region-led AI grand transition project. Park is mentioned as a potential candidate for South Chungcheong governor in next year's local elections.
Cho Seung-rae, the secretary-general whose constituency is Yuseong-gu-gap in Daejeon, increased 2.341 billion won for widening the Honam Expressway section from Seodaejeon (Wonnae-dong) to Hoeduk (Jeonmin-dong) and 950 million won for the Daejeon Youth Future Space Talent Education project.
◇ Opposition heavyweights also secure constituency funds by "inserting" items
The People Power Party leadership also secured hefty constituency funds. Song Eon-seog, the floor leader, increased 1 billion won to start construction of the Yangcheon–Daehaeng national highway bypass in Gimcheon, 225 million won to refurbish the area around the main hall of Jikji Temple, 959 million won to improve aging water purification plants, and 3 billion won for the Mungyeong–Gimcheon railway construction.
Yoo Sang-bum, the senior deputy floor leader, represents Hongcheon, Hoengseong, Yeongwol, and Pyeongchang in Gangwon. During Assembly negotiations, a variety of constituency funds were increased, including 8.183 billion won to expand nonpoint source pollution reduction facilities in the Doam Lake basin in Pyeongchang, 500 million won for the Pyeongchang Nodong–Hongcheon Jawoon national highway construction, and 300 million won for multipurpose rural water development in the Jawoon district of Hongcheon.
Kim Do-eup, the policy chief, secured 2.43 billion won in his Busan Gangseo-gu constituency for improving fire safety facilities at the National Assembly Busan Library, and 3 billion won for upgrades including the Daejeo water gate upstream of the Nakdong River estuary barrage in Busan. Secretary-General Chung Hee-yong also secured 1 billion won to build Buk-sam Inpyeong Park in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang; 1.5 billion won to build the Beopjeon-ri parking lot in Gayasan National Park in Seongju County; and 500 million won to widen the Waegwan levee on the Nakdong River.
Some opposition lawmakers sidelined in securing constituency funds grumbled that the leadership rushed to a bipartisan deal for their own benefit. Because most of the People Power Party leadership holds constituencies in the Yeongnam region, much of the budget the party secured during Assembly negotiations also went to Yeongnam.
A People Power Party lawmaker with a Seoul constituency criticized, "Considering next year's local elections, the party should have taken care of budgets for Seoul and the greater capital area, but didn't the leadership just take care of their own constituent requests?"