Song Eon-seok Pushes to Cap Supplementary Budget's Total Spending

People Power Party Floor Leader Song Eon-seok told reporters on the 10th after a party policy meeting at the National Assembly that there had been discussions between the ruling and opposition party leaders of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts (SCBA) to not increase the total expenditure of the supplementary budget (Chugyeong). 'Chugyeong' refers to a budget additionally prepared by the government to cope with unexpected situations. Song explained that the total expenditure size would be maintained by increasing certain items within the scope of reductions, even if there were parts to be increased during the parliamentary review of the supplementary budget bill. This was based on the principle that necessary increases for projects could only be reflected within the scope of reductions once the total reduction amount was determined.

The supplementary budget (Chugyeong) submitted by the government to the National Assembly was worth 26.2 trillion won, and approximately 3.5 trillion won was added during the review process by standing committees. The SCBA floor leaders from both parties discussed the detailed contents of the supplementary budget until 4 a.m. on April 10, and a '3+3' meeting, involving the floor leaders of both parties, was held in the morning. The supplementary budget bill was processed at the plenary session on the afternoon of April 10, following further consultations.

The People Power Party opposed the payment of 'high oil price damage relief funds' to the bottom 70% of income earners. Song Eon-seok, the party's floor leader, characterized this as a 'supplementary budget for election purposes' and 'populist cash distribution,' emphasizing the need for reductions.