[In the Photo: Politics] 'Cut' vs 'Maintain' ? What Budget Is It?

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Dong-joo] The National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Committee's budget subcommittee conducts the final review of the budget proposals for each project submitted by various ministries as the last step in verifying next year's budget.

Woo Won-sik, Chairman of the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Committee, is attending and presiding over the Budget and Accounts Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 17th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Woo Won-sik, Chairman of the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Subcommittee, is attending the Budget and Accounts Subcommittee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 17th and delivering a greeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

As the National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Committee's budget subcommittee began on the 17th, the ruling and opposition parties have entered into a full-scale 'budget war.'

The tension between the Democratic Party's demands to cut the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's key projects and the People Power Party's insistence on maintaining the original budget has deepened the conflict between the two sides.

Woo Won-sik, Chairman of the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Fund Review Subcommittee, attended the Budget and Accounts Fund Review Subcommittee held at the National Assembly on the 17th and greeted Lee Cheol-gyu, the People Power Party's secretary./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Lee Cheol-gyu, the budget and accounts committee secretary of the People Power Party, and Park Jung, the budget and accounts committee secretary of the Democratic Party of Korea, are attending the Budget and Accounts Fund Review Subcommittee held at the National Assembly on the 17th, exchanging greetings. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The curtain-raiser of the budget war started in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Committee. Ahead of urgent inquiries related to the 'Itaewon tragedy,' the ruling and opposition parties clashed over the complete cut of the Police Bureau's budget and the budget for local love gift certificates. Eventually, the two sides compromised by reducing the Police Bureau's budget by 10% instead of a full cut, and allocating 500 billion won for the local love gift certificates budget, which the Yoon Suk-yeol administration had previously cut entirely. The power struggle between the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's Police Bureau budget and Lee Jae-myung's local gift certificate budget lasted nearly ten days.

However, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Committee is seen as merely a pause in the budget war.

On the 16th, at the plenary meeting of the Public Administration and Security Committee held at the National Assembly, Moon Jin-seok of the Democratic Party and Kim Woong of the People Power Party were pushing each other. The committee was adjourned after loud exchanges between the ruling and opposition parties over the budget cuts related to Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min's operational expenses and the Police Bureau. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the 16th, at the plenary meeting of the Public Administration and Security Committee held at the National Assembly, Chairman Lee Chae-ik was talking with Kim Gyo-heung, the Democratic Party of Korea's secretary, and Lee Man-hee, the People Power Party's secretary. The committee was adjourned after a heated exchange between the ruling and opposition parties over the budget cuts related to Minister Lee Sang-min's operational expenses and the Police Bureau. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

In particular, the Democratic Party aims to completely cut the budget related to the presidential office relocation, while the People Power Party is preparing to cut budgets increased under Lee Jae-myung's name, such as the disabled worker support project, renewable energy financial support, and public rental housing.

The tug-of-war between the ruling and opposition parties to restore cut budgets and reduce increased budgets is expected to be even fiercer this year.

On the 17th, government officials from related departments awaiting budget review are standing in the hallway of the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Subcommittee meeting room. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

On the 17th, a vice minister attending the Budget and Accounts Subcommittee held at the National Assembly is receiving a report related to the budget proposal via SNS. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

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