South Korean Minister seeks stable firefighting budget solutions

Park Hong-geun, Minister of Planning and Budget, announced on the 23rd that the government is reviewing ways to ensure a stable firefighting budget. During a National Assembly audit, Park stated that the government will consider both immediate budget reflections for next year and long-term institutional reforms after consulting with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Fire Agency, and local governments.

The discussion follows concerns regarding the shifting burden of firefighting costs. While firefighters transitioned to national status in 2020, the proportion of national funding in the firefighting safety budget decreased from 14.9% in 2021 to 10.7% this year, while the local government share rose to 89.3%.

A significant challenge is the projected 27.6% decrease in the firefighting safety grant tax—funded by tobacco consumption taxes—which is expected to drop from 1.05 trillion won this year to 760.5 billion won next year due to declining tobacco consumption. This reduction coincides with rising personnel costs, which now account for 76% of the budget, leaving fewer resources for facilities and equipment.