Lee to deliver budget speech Thurs. to outline extra budget

▲ President Lee Jae Myung delivers a budget speech at the National Assembly in Seoul on March 31, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Lee-budget speech

Lee to deliver budget speech Thurs. to outline extra budget

SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung will deliver a budget speech later this week, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday, as the government has proposed a supplementary budget aimed at cushioning the economic impact of the Middle East conflict.

Lee will deliver the address on Thursday, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a press notice, without elaborating on the venue.

He is expected to outline the 26.2 trillion-won (US$17.1 billion) extra budget approved by the Cabinet earlier in the day and call for bipartisan support to ensure its swift passage.

The proposal is largely focused on easing the impact of rising fuel prices amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, and includes cash handouts for about 70 percent of the population. It centers on three key areas -- responding to high oil prices, stabilizing livelihoods and minimizing industrial damage while securing supply chains.

It would mark Lee's third budget speech, following his address on last year's second supplementary budget in June and the 2026 budget bill in November.

On Monday, the ruling Democratic Party and main opposition People Power Party said they agreed to pass the extra budget bill by April 10.

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