South Korea National Assembly approves W13.8tr extra budget

South Korea's National Assembly passed a 13.8 trillion-won ($9.6 billion) extra budget following a bipartisan agreement between the Democratic Party and the People Power Party, increasing the initial government proposal by 1.6 trillion won. The supplementary budget aims to boost disaster response, support economic revitalization, and assist regions affected by recent wildfires. Key allocations include 400 billion won for local currency vouchers to support small merchants, 170 billion won for discounts on agricultural and fisheries products, and 115.7 billion won for university scholarships. Additional funding includes 30 billion won for flood prevention and restored budgets for special expenses for the prosecution and state audit agency. The revised budget also addresses public housing construction and infrastructure improvements in wildfire-affected areas. Lawmakers emphasized the budget's role in helping disaster victims and stabilizing consumer prices.