The founding principles behind the supplementary budget — billed as a "debt-free war budget" — are being shaken. Indiscriminate add-ons during National Assembly standing committee reviews have ballooned the package from the government's original 26.2 trillion won to around 30 trillion won. Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik also expressed a negative stance, saying, "If the size grows, we will have to take on debt again." The Budget and Accounts Special Committee, which handles the final review, has signaled it will cut spending, but with standing committee additions totaling 4 trillion won, the final figure is expected to exceed the government proposal by at least 2 trillion won.
Among the most controversial items reviewed by standing committees through the 7th is the balcony-type solar panel program. The program was designed to encourage energy independence by promoting "one solar panel per household." However, the initiative drew "eat-and-run" criticism after one in five companies that received Seoul city subsidies — when the program was pushed by former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon — shut down without fulfilling repair obligations. Seoul subsequently halted the subsidies, but the government has effectively revived the program, using the Middle East crisis as justification. The original supplementary budget allocated 25 billion won for the program, but the Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee added 47.5 billion won during its review.
Projects under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, which added a total of 270.9 billion won to the government's original 584.3 billion won, are also widely seen as far removed from a war-related supplementary budget. Notably, 20 projects that were not in the government proposal were newly inserted during the committee's review. That accounts for 84% of the 24 total projects the committee reviewed. A prime example drawing criticism for not fitting the supplementary budget's purpose is the "National Cultural Activity Support" program, which expands the weekly Wednesday "Culture Day" initiative. The program received a 28.5 billion won increase before being sent to the Budget and Accounts Special Committee. The support program for cultural regeneration of idle spaces at closed industrial facilities also grew by 18.2 billion won.
Other items criticized as inconsistent with the war supplementary budget's purpose include the National Tax Delinquency Management Corps (213.4 billion won), whose collection effectiveness has been questioned; the Artists' Living Stabilization Fund (32 billion won), which sparked favoritism controversy; and the "Startup for All" program (155 billion won), which drew criticism for being a show administration project.
