Demands for additional spending are mounting as the National Assembly reviews the government's supplementary budget designed to respond to the Middle East war. Standing committees overseeing various policy areas are calling for roughly 100 billion won in new funding, proposing fresh line items such as fuel subsidies for charter buses and support for anatomy labs at national medical schools. The opposition is pushing to cut items it says stray from the purpose of a "war supplementary budget."
The Budget and Accounts Subcommittee of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee approved a supplementary budget proposal on Tuesday that adds 45.938 billion won for charter bus fuel subsidies. The plan would provide 400,000 won per month for three months to cover rising fuel costs for 38,282 charter buses nationwide. The measure aims to ease the burden on the charter bus industry, which has been excluded from fuel subsidy programs that cover route buses and taxis. An additional 66.6 billion won was also added to halve the base fare threshold for K-Pass fixed-rate cards used for public transit fare refunds.
The Education Committee passed a supplementary budget proposal at its plenary session the same day, increasing the total by 90.761 billion won from the original 4.8109 trillion won. The additions include 14 billion won for a youth talent development bootcamp program and 16.4 billion won to expand essential facilities such as anatomy labs at national medical schools.
The Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee proposed a supplementary budget with a net increase of 183.365 billion won, but failed to pass it due to disagreements between ruling and opposition parties. The People Power Party is demanding the full removal of 4.95 billion won newly earmarked for operating support for TBS, the Seoul traffic broadcasting station, arguing the allocation contradicts the purpose of a war supplementary budget. The National Assembly plans to finalize the supplementary budget through general deliberations at the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on Wednesday and Thursday, a subcommittee review of cuts and additions on Friday, and a plenary vote on Saturday.