Park Hong-geun says he will develop measures for stable fire service funding

Planning and Budget Minister Park Hong-geun said he would develop measures to secure more stable funding for fire services. Park said he intended to consider structural funding arrangements and produce effective measures.

Park's response addressed concerns about insufficient fire service funding raised at the National Assembly's Finance, Economy and Planning Committee audit on the 23rd. Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Tae-ho said the central government share of fire safety spending had fallen from 14.9% in 2021 to 10.7% currently, arguing that this was inconsistent with the purpose of making firefighters national government employees in 2020.

Park cited declining tobacco consumption as a reason for the funding shortfall. He explained that, when the Moon Jae-in administration expanded fire service staffing, an agreement was reached to raise the share of the individual consumption tax on tobacco allocated to fire safety grants from 20% to 45% to cover spending, but that recent declines in tobacco consumption had left individual consumption tax revenue insufficient.

Park said the principles and criteria for sharing fire service spending between central and local governments needed review. He identified improvements to firefighters' working conditions, expansion of advanced safety equipment and stable funding as issues to examine, and said he would also discuss measures with the National Assembly.

Responding to Jung's call for immediate inclusion in next year's budget proposal, Park said he would comprehensively seek the views of relevant authorities. He said the views of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Fire Agency and local governments should inform a review of what could be reflected in next year's budget and the need for medium- to long-term institutional reforms.