Prosecution's Special Task Expenses Cut by 50.7 Billion Won... Opposition Party Unilaterally Passes 'Budget Reduction Plan'

The Democratic Party of Korea unilaterally passed next year's budget reflecting only cuts at the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts' Subcommittee on Budget Adjustment on the 29th.

This is an unprecedented event where the budget was processed solely by the opposition party at the Budget and Accounts Subcommittee. Members of the People Power Party protested the opposition's unilateral handling of the reduced budget and walked out.

Choi Jae-hae, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, is speaking at the plenary session of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts held at the National Assembly on the 29th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Gwak Gyu-taek, a member of the People Power Party, told reporters, "The Democratic Party unilaterally approved the reduction plan."

According to the Constitution, the National Assembly must obtain government consent to increase the budget or create new budget items, but reductions can be made without government approval.

Accordingly, the Democratic Party gave up on increases such as the 2 trillion won regional currency (local love gift certificates) budget, which was newly established but not included in the government's original plan.

At the same time, they processed a budget plan that cuts special activity expenses of the Presidential Secretariat and National Security Office (8.251 billion won), specific task expenses of the prosecution (50.691 billion won) and special activity expenses (8.09 billion won), and special expenses (4.5 billion won) and special activity expenses (1.5 billion won) of the Board of Audit and Inspection.

The Democratic Party's position is that if the Budget and Accounts Committee fails to reach an agreement, the original budget submitted by the government will be automatically referred to the plenary session, so they had no choice but to process a budget reflecting only reductions.

The Budget and Accounts Committee is expected to immediately hold a plenary session to approve the reduced budget.