President Lee: Don't get bogged down by fiscal numbers; invest for future growth

President Lee Jae-myung is advocating for a proactive fiscal approach, stating that now is not the time to be "obsessed with managing immediate fiscal figures" when preparing next year's budget. He stressed the need to transform fiscal strategy into a productive one, using increased financial capacity as "seeds" to yield greater returns in the future.

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Now is not the time to make the mistake of being obsessed with managing immediate fiscal figures.

"We need the wisdom to cultivate today's 10,000 won into 100,000 won tomorrow, and then into 1 million won the day after, by investing precious future financial resources in more efficient and productive areas," President Lee said at a cabinet meeting he chaired on Tuesday.

The president also instructed the government to boldly adjust non-essential expenditures while focusing the budget on core national priorities. These include promoting "super-gap" growth, alleviating K-shaped polarization, achieving balanced development, nurturing talent, and building a ladder for youth futures. The Ministry of Economy and Finance had previously projected that next year's total expenditure would exceed 800 trillion won, an increase of over 10% from this year's budget.

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We need the wisdom to cultivate today's 10,000 won into 100,000 won tomorrow, and then into 1 million won the day after, by investing precious future financial resources in more efficient and productive areas.

President Lee further encouraged an open attitude towards reasonable alternatives proposed by the National Assembly and the public after the budget is submitted. He acknowledged that government policies sometimes face criticism regardless of whether they are revised based on parliamentary input or if consensus is not reached. "Whether you go forward or backward, whether you stand or sit, whether you lie down, you get criticized," he noted, advising against being overly concerned by such reactions. He emphasized that policy is a process of government proposals and parliamentary deliberation, and the final decision rests with the legislature.

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Whether you go forward or backward, whether you stand or sit, whether you lie down, you get criticized.