Education Ministry’s Fourth Supplementary Budget of KRW 4.8 Trillion Confirmed…All-Out Support for Youth Employment and Vulnerable Groups

A supplementary budget prepared to help stabilize people’s livelihoods following the war in the Middle East and other factors has passed the National Assembly, and the Education Ministry’s related supplementary budget has been finally confirmed at KRW 48.125 trillion.

Increase of KRW 4.7 Trillion in Local Education Finance Grants…All-Out Efforts to Restore Livelihoods

The largest item in this supplementary budget is a total increase of KRW 47.694 trillion in local education finance grant allocations. The Education Ministry said it will hold close consultations with provincial and municipal offices of education, quickly inject the increased grants into education-support sites, such as protecting vulnerable groups, and help accelerate livelihood recovery.

Even Those Not Enrolled Can Participate…New Program: “Youth Leap Talent Development Boot Camp”

For the new initiative to help young people strengthen their employability skills, KRW 283 billion will be invested in the “Youth Leap Talent Development Boot Camp”. The program, which previously targeted mainly enrolled students, has been expanded to include non-enrolled youth as well, providing benefits to a total of 4,000 young people. This initiative will be carried out as a short-term, intensive education program jointly operated by universities and companies across a variety of fields, including advanced industries, as well as the humanities and social sciences, arts and physical education, and the service sector.

Reducing School Electricity Costs and Detailed Support for Vulnerable Groups

To ease the financial burden of educational institutions, an additional KRW 13 billion has also been allocated for the “Expansion of Solar Power Facilities at National Universities and Affiliated Schools”. To reduce the burden caused by recent increases in electricity usage and related tariff hikes, solar facilities will be installed promptly at 35 national universities and 3 national affiliated schools. In addition, an extra KRW 1.6 billion will be allocated to raise the per-unit cost for operating shuttle buses for child care centers serving vulnerable groups, and an additional KRW 0.3 billion will be earmarked to strengthen post-graduation management support for unemployed graduates of vocational high schools. The ministry plans to expand support even for more detailed areas at education sites.