President Lee Jae Myung delivers his next-year budget speech, with South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party welcoming it while the main opposition People Power Party criticizes the address for what it does not cover. The PPP says Lee’s comments overlook North Korea’s threats and broader economic concerns, and it also attacks the government’s spending and fiscal direction.
Both Korea Times and Yonhap report that PPP lawmakers hold a rally at the National Assembly ahead of the speech and frame the budget as harmful to the country’s future and national debt. They cite PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok’s complaint that Lee does not mention topics such as real estate, stock markets, farmland, or issues related to public safety and the judiciary, as well as North Korea, inter-Korean relations and the South Korea–U.S. alliance. Korea Times further notes that Lee pledges to secure military capabilities linked to the planned early transfer of wartime operational control from the United States, while not directly addressing the alliance or inter-Korean ties in the speech.
Across outlets, the main difference is emphasis: the DPK highlights the speech positively, while the PPP leads with concerns about security omissions and economic/fiscal priorities.
