341.6 Billion Won in Livelihood Support Projects to Be Executed Immediately on the First Day of the New Year

Ministry of Planning and Budget Holds First Joint Fiscal Execution Review Meeting

On January 2, the first day of the 2026 fiscal year, the government will immediately execute a total of 341.6 billion won in livelihood support projects, including senior employment programs, 1,000-won breakfast meals for industrial complex workers, and customized national scholarships. This is the largest amount ever executed on the first day of the New Year.

Lim Gigeun, Vice Minister and Acting Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Budget, held the first joint fiscal execution review meeting with relevant ministries on the morning of the same day to check the status of budget execution preparations for 2026 and review the projects to be executed on the first day of the New Year. The meeting was attended by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Fiscal Information Service, among others.

Vice Minister Lim emphasized, "As the government's role in restoring the livelihood economy is especially important at this time, we have decided to hold a fiscal execution review meeting from the very first day of the New Year," and added, "All ministries must make every effort with renewed determination to prevent any delays in execution due to government reorganization or early-year holidays."

The government plans to provide uninterrupted livelihood support from the very start of the year to ease household burdens, protect vulnerable groups, and help farmers respond to winter disasters. The amount executed on the first day of the New Year has increased significantly from 108.5 billion won in 2021, 69.3 billion won in 2022, 75.9 billion won in 2023, 131.5 billion won in 2024, and 272.5 billion won in 2025, to 341.6 billion won this year.

In the area of easing household burdens, the government will focus on practical, everyday projects such as 100 billion won in Onnuri gift certificates, 1.4 billion won for 1,000-won breakfast meals for industrial complex workers, and 43.2 billion won in customized national scholarships. In particular, the 1,000-won breakfast meal program for industrial complex workers, newly introduced as a pilot project this year, completed preliminary procedures such as company applications at the end of last year and will be executed promptly from the beginning of the year.

For the protection of vulnerable groups, priority will be given to support programs for income and employment-vulnerable groups, including 17.6 billion won for senior employment and social activity support, 2.1 billion won for agricultural food vouchers, and 18.2 billion won for the National Employment Support System. The senior employment program completed participant recruitment early at the end of last year to ensure stable living conditions during the winter and will be executed immediately.

To respond to disasters affecting farmers, the government will execute 44.4 billion won for crop disaster insurance and 12.8 billion won for agricultural disaster countermeasures. The execution of crop disaster insurance, including the payment of insurance benefits to farmers, will begin earlier than usual, starting from the first day of the New Year to ensure smooth operation. To prevent any disruptions in early-year fiscal execution, the government completed checks on the national fiscal system, the Digital Budget and Accounting System (dBrain+), at the end of last year and will operate a 24-hour monitoring system to prepare for system failures and fund transfer errors. To this end, the Fiscal Information Service will operate an emergency response team for the execution system intensively for three weeks until January 16.

Vice Minister Lim stated, "All ministries must thoroughly manage budget execution with the mindset that the performance on the first day of the New Year will determine the execution results for the entire year."