Extra budget bill vote continues to face delays amid bipartisan debate

We start at the National Assembly where a crucial vote for the government's proposed extra budget continues to be delayed amid continued debate between lawmakers.

For more on the fate of this bill, we connect with our correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon on the line.

Hye-ryeon , what's the latest there?

The National Assembly's plenary session to vote on the new administration's first supplementary budget bill has been repeatedly delayed, with disagreements continuing to cloud the process.

Lawmakers were scheduled to vote on the bill on Friday afternoon at 2 PM, but the session was pushed back following last-minute talks to finalize the bill at the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts meeting and internal divisions within the ruling Democratic Party.

Initially proposed at 30-point-5 trillion Korean won, or roughly 22 billion U.S. dollars, the supplementary budget ballooned during committee deliberations at the National Assembly.

The version passed by the budget committee now totals just over 23 billion dollars, with the increase largely driven by two contentious items: a consumer voucher program and the restoration of special activity funds for four government agencies, including the presidential office.

The inclusion of the prosecution in these special activity funds is what has sparked opposition within the DP, with one lawmaker calling it "not appropriate" on social media.

What have been the main points of contention between the ruling and main opposition parties?

Leading up to the vote, the two parties have been clashing over the bill's key provisions, particularly around how and where the additional spending should be directed.

At the heart of the bill is the ruling party's push for "livelihood recovery" through direct support for households in the form of vouchers that can be used like a gift certificate at small, local businesses.

Depending on income, Korean citizens in the capital region will receive between 150 thousand and 500 thousand won, while those living outside the capital region will receive more.

The DP emphasized the urgency of passing and executing this in order to boost domestic consumption and help people's livelihoods.

Another major point of contention was the reallocation of special activity funds for the presidential office.

The DP proposed restoring the funds, which are typically used for confidential or discretionary purposes — a move that drew sharp criticism from the PPP.

Opposition lawmakers called this move hypocritical, given that the DP had previously slashed the same budget when in opposition.

But the DP holds a majority in the National Assembly and can push the bill through on its own without the opposition People Power Party's backing — which is what is expected to happen after the PPP declared earlier today that it would be abstaining from voting.

That's all for now, back to you, Dami.

All right, Hye-ryeon, thank you for your report.