The government’s proposed budget would cut the fire safety grant for local governments from 1.0502 trillion won this year to 760.5 billion won next year, a 27.6% reduction. The grant supports fire and safety facilities, safety management, firefighter personnel costs, equipment and related infrastructure. Fire services remain funded mainly by local governments, which provided 89.3% of the nation’s 8.5967 trillion won fire budget this year, while central government funding accounted for 10.7%.
The reduction has raised concern that local capacity for equipment and facility investment could weaken, while central emergency-response activity and related support programs also face cuts.