Anchor: The government has drawn up a 12 trillion won supplementary budget that it says will shore up the economy amid an escalating global trade war and strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to large-scale disasters. The envisioned budget is two trillion won more than what the government previously proposed.
Rosyn Park has more.
 
Reporter: Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok announced on Tuesday that the proposed extra budget, worth 12 trillion won, or roughly eight-point-four-five billion U.S. dollars, aims to help the country prepare for large-scale disasters, respond to trade uncertainties and strengthen its competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence(AI).

Under the envisioned plan, three trillion won will be allocated to natural disaster response efforts and cover items such as equipment, vehicles and smart surveillance drones to fight forest fires. 

Disaster countermeasure funds to repair damage and compensate victims will be increased to more than one trillion won, in addition to one-thousand new rental homes and housing funds for victims.
 
More than four trillion won will be allocated to address changes in the global trade environment amid U.S. tariff hikes and boost local high-tech industries.
 
New loans and guarantees will also be supplied to companies hit hard financially by U.S. President Donald Trump’s new tariffs, while the number of companies that receive support from export vouchers will more than double.

In particular, more than one-point-eight trillion won will be dedicated to enhancing the country’s competitiveness in artificial intelligence. 

This will include securing supplies of advanced graphics processing units for the country’s AI computing infrastructure.
      
The extra budget will also set aside another four trillion won to support small businesses and vulnerable groups. 

As part of efforts to improve people’s lives, the government plans to carry out a so-called burden reduction credit project and push for a “win-win payback project” that refunds part of the increase in card consumption with Onnuri gift certificates.
 
The government plans to submit the extra budget bill to the National Assembly next week.
Rosyn Park, KBS World Radio News.