Woman walking along snow-covered street in front of City Hall in Seoul, South Korea. File photo for representational purposes only.
Seoul: South Korea's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok on Sunday announced the government's plan to draw up a supplementary budget of 10 trillion won to deal with some of the most pressing issues.
Choi revealed the plan when he presided over an emergency meeting of economic ministers on urgent issues at the Seoul Government Complex, after the most destructive wildfires in decades struck the country over the past week.
This budget is specifically aimed to resolve some of the most urgent issues including post-wildfire disaster relief, strengthening competitiveness in trade and artificial intelligence, and support for people's livelihoods, according to the ministry of economy and finance.
Choi stressed the importance of quickly turning the budget into action and urged for bipartisan cooperation to ensure that the National Assembly approves the budget within April.
The death toll caused by the worst-ever wildfires rose to 30, with 45 others injured, government compilation showed Sunday.
The wildfires, which have been basically put out, have burned about 48,000 hectares of land, equivalent to over 2,600 football fields.
Since March 21, infernos had broken out in 11 areas, mostly in the southeastern Gyeongsang province. (1 South Korean won equals 0.00068 USD)
