The Democratic Party, the government and the presidential office agreed at a high-level meeting on the 8th to consider roughly 2 trillion won in fiscal support to ease a structure in which local governments carry 90 percent of fire-service costs. The 9th is Firefighters' Day.
According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, the Democratic Party, the government and the presidential office held a high-level party-government meeting on the 8th at the prime minister's Seoul residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District. Chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said in a briefing that the party asked the government to expand national support and that they would consider easing local burdens with support of around 2 trillion won, aimed at urgent, essential fire-service investment.
광고 문의 · 300×250Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok said expanding fire-service finances is a must and that more national funding and institutional changes to narrow regional gaps in fire services are needed. Presidential chief of staff Lim Kwang-hyun said the government would consult the National Assembly on using the Future Response Fund and the local education tax on tobacco consumption to secure funds quickly.
National share at 10 percent as grant is cut
Firefighters were moved from local to national civil servant status in 2020, yet the national share of the total fire budget remains around 10 percent. The Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that the fire safety grant is due to fall 27.6 percent, from 1.0503 trillion won this year to 760.5 billion won next year. The possibility that local allocation taxes shrink because of the new Future Response Fund adds to concern that local burdens could grow.
The paper said the recent controversy over a so-called fire-finance ‘straw’ and the death in the line of duty of a fire service member were cited as background. With the National Assembly's November budget deliberations ahead, the party and government appear to be moving on reform. The size and timing of support have not been finalized.
Funding options and remaining differences
One proposed source is converting the local education tax on tobacco consumption, which sunsets on Dec. 31 this year, into a regional resource facility tax earmarked for fire services. It was worth about 1.5 trillion won last year. The government had planned to use it for a local housing welfare tax to improve public-housing living conditions.
The Democratic Party proposed using the whole 1.5 trillion won on fire services, but the two sides differ on the split and agreed to keep talking. Using part of the Future Response Fund for fire budgets is also under review. At the same meeting the party also asked to unify the comprehensive real estate tax basic deduction at 14 billion won regardless of residency, but that issue is separate from fire-service funding.
