By Kim Hyo-jin
The government plans to install air-conditioners in all barracks for soldiers and conscripted police by next year.
The decision was announced during a meeting between economic policymakers and senior officials of the ruling Saenuri Party, Wednesday.
The party earlier asked the government to earmark money for the air-conditioners and it accepted the request, party officials said.
“The government will spend some 63 billion won ($56.3 million) from the allocated budget for the defense ministry to provide 30,000 air-conditioners to every military and conscripted police barracks,” Rep. Kim Gwang-lim, the party’s chief policymaker, said during a press briefing.
“This means all military and conscript police facilities will have air-conditioning.”
About 180 non-air-conditioned buses for police conscripts will be replaced, he said.
The government will also increase the honorary allowance for veterans who fought in the Korean and Vietnam wars from 200,000 to 220,000 a month.
About 250,000 veterans receive the allowance and the plan will cost the government 30 billion won a year, Kim said.
The increase was made at the request of the ruling party. Stressing the need to offer more financial support for war heroes, Kim said: “The government was reluctant to increase it further as the presidential pledge in 2012 was to make it 190,000 won by 2017, but we still pushed for it.”
The ruling party and the government agreed to increase the budget to expand measures that prevent Chinese fishing boats from operating illegally around the northern sea border area _ the Northern Limit Line (NLL). Spending will increase from 2 billion won this year to 10 billion won.
“We are discussing a plan to establish structures made of steel there, so they can tear up the fishing nets when Chinese boats approach,” Kim said.
The illegal fishing has been an issue for years and has affected South Korean fishermen.
The Coast Guard has been unable to counter the Chinese boats that sail over to North Korean waters after fishing illegally.
The ruling party’s chief policymaker said the 2017 budget aims to revitalize the sluggish economy and create jobs.
“To that end, the budget for jobs will be increased by over 10 percent compared to this year and money allocated for the young generation will be hiked by more than 15 percent,” Kim said. The government also will use 50 billion won of the budget to create jobs for seniors, he said.
The government is scheduled to finalize the budget bill during a Cabinet meeting around Aug. 30 and it will be submitted to the National Assembly by Nov. 2.