President Yoon Suk Yeol has called for bipartisan cooperation to pass the government’s 2025 budget proposal before the deadline, saying the plan prioritizes the people’s economic well-being. 

The president made the remarks Monday in a parliamentary speech read by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Vowing to overcome the crisis facing society by thoroughly implementing the plan, Yoon said the government drew up a budget of 677-point-four trillion won, or almost 494 billion U.S. dollars, a three-point-two percent increase from this year.

With the 2025 budget, he said, the government will focus on expanding customized welfare for vulnerable groups, promoting economic vitality, improving the structure of the economy to prepare for the future, and making society safer. 

He also said the budget prioritizes the government’s four major reform areas, health care, pension, labor and education, calling the reforms critical tasks that must be implemented immediately for the survival of the nation.

Regarding military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, Yoon said it threatens South Korea’s security and vowed to review all the options and take action. 

This is the first time in eleven years that a sitting president has not delivered the budget speech personally, instead delegating the task to a prime minister.