South Korea Receives Record Citizen Budget Proposals Worth $280 Million

South Korea's Ministry of Planning and Finance has received a significant influx of citizen-proposed budget requests for 2027, totaling 381.3 billion won across 43 projects from 16 government ministries. This marks a substantial increase from the previous year, with the number of project proposals nearly tripling and the requested budget soaring by over 11 times.

The citizen participation budget system, established in 2018, allows the public to directly engage in the budgeting process. This year, the scope was expanded beyond project discovery to include proposals for expenditure efficiency. To accommodate the growing public interest, the size of the citizen participation panels, responsible for prioritizing projects, has been doubled to approximately 600 members, and the advisory group for proposal review and system consultation has been expanded from 16 to 40 members.

Among the major proposals are initiatives aimed at bridging the digital divide, such as providing AI subscription fee vouchers to vulnerable populations. Another significant request is to make the 132 legal consultation hotline operated by the Korea Legal Aid Corporation free of charge, thereby improving access to legal services for those in need. Other proposals include revitalizing direct transactions in the livestock supply chain to reduce costs for consumers and transforming underutilized state-owned properties, such as former police substations, into community hubs.

Efficiency-focused proposals include reducing the issuance of military supplies with low utilization rates and institutionalizing a preliminary feasibility review for public sector promotional videos that are produced annually. The Ministry of Planning and Finance will consider the preference votes from the citizen participation panels, policy conditions, and other factors to decide which projects will be included in the 2027 government budget proposal. Proposals for expenditure efficiency are being accepted until June 30 and will be reflected in the 2027 fiscal year budget.