[New Year's Address] Kwon Deok-cheol "Welfare Ministry Has Largest Share of Government Budget... Doing Our Best to Overcome COVID-19 Crisis"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] On the 31st, Kwon Deok-cheol, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated that even in the new year, the government will actively invest the budget in the proactive securing of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, support for confirmed patients' home and residential treatment, and securing treatment beds for severe patients to do its best to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.

In his New Year's address, Minister Kwon said, "We are entering a new phase due to the increase in severe patients caused by breakthrough infections and infections among the unvaccinated, as well as the global spread of the Omicron variant virus," adding, "As we have done over the past two years, we will wisely overcome this crisis as well."

Minister Kwon emphasized, "The 2022 government budget has been finalized at 607.7 trillion won, of which the Ministry of Health and Welfare's budget is 97.4767 trillion won," and added, "This accounts for 16% of the government budget, the largest share."

He explained, "We will actively invest the budget in the proactive securing of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, support for confirmed patients' home and residential treatment, securing treatment beds for severe patients, responding to COVID-19 depression, and supporting mental recovery," and added, "We will expand income support and strengthen care guarantees to ensure that vulnerable groups do not face greater difficulties in their lives due to COVID-19."

Budget support will also be strengthened for the maximum increase in the median income standard for livelihood benefits, expansion of basic pension recipients, implementation of a pilot project for sickness benefits, establishment of the Central Social Service Agency, and expansion of disability activity support services.

Minister Kwon said, "We will foster the biohealth industry by investing in building a global bio workforce training hub, vaccine and treatment development, creating the K-Global Vaccine Fund, and promoting the use of domestically produced medical devices," and added, "We will invest the budget in the introduction of the First Meeting Voucher and infant allowance, expansion of child allowances, expansion of national and public daycare centers, expansion of youth asset formation support, and establishment of an old-age support delivery system to respond to rapid demographic changes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.