Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun expressed hope that the fourth extra budget can serve as leverage to "uplift the public's daily lives buried in mud," as he put it.

In a speech at the National Assembly on Monday centered on the seven-point-eight trillion won supplementary budget drawn up by the government, Chung said pushing for special measures is inevitable at a time when the resurgence of COVID-19 has dealt a blow to small business owners, the self-employed and people vulnerable to retaining employment.

He said the spread of the outbreak was slowly being curbed thanks to tighter social distancing, but the impact on the economy has been unavoidable.

The prime minister said he is aware of concerns regarding fiscal soundness resulting from four extra budgets this year alone, but stressed that the present situation constitutes an unprecedented crisis that calls for unprecedented response measures.

Chung also said the selective provision of relief aid this time around is inevitable due to limited resources, however the customized relief package will protect those hit hard by the pandemic. 

He promised pan-government efforts to execute the budget as soon as it passes parliament and asked for a swift approval so the funds can reach the public before the Chuseok holiday.