Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Joo-ho said on the 2nd, “All ministries must ensure that the supplementary budget reaches those in urgent need as soon as possible, making every effort in the execution.”
During the Cabinet meeting held that morning, this Deputy Prime Minister stated, “I have taken on the heavy responsibility of acting president.”
This Deputy Prime Minister noted, “The government will continue to listen to the voices of the people and will make every effort to ensure that the necessary support is provided in a timely manner.”
The previous day, the 2025 First Supplementary Budget was passed in the National Assembly. This supplementary budget amounts to 13.8 trillion won, which is 1.6 trillion won more than the government's proposal.
This Deputy Prime Minister remarked, “This supplementary budget is more vital than anything else,” adding, “As the National Assembly empathized sufficiently on this matter, it was able to pass this supplementary budget in just 11 days, the fastest in the last 20 years.”
He also told the ministers present at the Cabinet meeting, “Ministers should fear only the evaluation of the people and history and fulfill the final duty entrusted to us.
This Deputy Prime Minister stated, “There are about 30 days remaining until the new government is launched,” adding, “Above all, my Cabinet and I must ensure that we securely protect ‘national security’ and ‘public safety’ according to the duties granted by the constitution, and that the entire process of electing a new president is managed transparently and without gaps.”
While doing so, this Deputy Prime Minister noted, “There may be little time left, but there are many critically important tasks ahead of us for the national interest and the people,” stating, “We must not neglect any one of them, including the full-scale trade negotiations with the United States, addressing challenging livelihood and economic issues, and responding to global technological competition in semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI).”