Gov't prepares extra budget worth 20 tln won over coronavirus: minister
SEOUL, March 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's government is preparing an extra budget bill worth around 20 trillion won (US$16.7 billion) to fight against the new coronavirus, the interior minister said Monday.
The government plans to submit a supplementary budget bill to the National Assembly on Thursday as it struggles to contain the fast spread of COVID-19 amid a surge in infections.
When asked by an opposition lawmaker about the size of the proposed budget, Interior Minister Chin Young told a parliamentary interpellation session that it would be some "20 trillion won."
"In the process of a parliamentary review, in-depth discussions with the economy-related ministry appears to be needed," Chin said.
The finance ministry, headed by Finance Minister Hong Nam-ki, is the main government organization drawing up the extra budget bill.
Earlier in the day, ruling party and government officials said that the proposed budget will be larger than 6.2 trillion won, the amount of fiscal spending allocated for the government's 2015 extra budget to cope with the MERS outbreak.
In 2015, South Korea drew up an extra budget totaling 11.6 trillion won.
The 20 trillion won mentioned by Chin appears to be the total amount of the extra budget under preparation. The government's 2020 budget is already a record 512.5 trillion won.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, meanwhile, said the government's current special immigration process for travelers coming from China is "working well," rejecting calls to ban all Chinese from entering South Korea.
Since Feb. 4, South Korea has imposed an entry ban on foreigners who visited or traveled through the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, in the past 14 days. It is also implementing stricter screening processes at an airport for all passengers coming from China.
Critics called for an expansion of the entry ban to all Chinese to better contain the risk of infections.
"Ensuring the safety of people is a top priority, but there are other factors to be considered," Kang said. "If we completely impose an entry ban on Chinese, Korean nationals might not be able to make necessary travel to China," she said.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
(News Focus) Display, electronics makers dealt blow by COVID-19 lockdowns in China
-
BTS to meet Biden at White House to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes
-
(URGENT) Russian, Chinese warplanes enter S. Korea's air defense zone without notice: JCS
-
Multiple Russian, Chinese warplanes enter KADIZ without notice: JCS
-
Premier League Golden Boot winner Son Heung-min receives hero's welcome home
-
(5th LD) Yoon, Biden agree to expand joint military exercises to cope with N.K. threats
-
(LEAD) Multiple Russian, Chinese warplanes enter KADIZ without notice: JCS
-
(News Focus) Display, electronics makers dealt blow by COVID-19 lockdowns in China
-
With historic Golden Boot, Son Heung-min cements case as greatest S. Korean footballer ever
-
(URGENT) Russian, Chinese warplanes enter S. Korea's air defense zone without notice: JCS
-
S. Korean volunteer fighter in Ukraine returns home with injuries
-
BTS to meet Biden at White House to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes
-
S. Korean midfielder Hwang Hee-chan to enter military training after 2 friendlies in June
-
S. Korean volunteer fighter in Ukraine returning home
-
S. Korea's new COVID-19 cases below 20,000 for 2nd day as omicron wave ebbs