Park Hong-keun Visits Market for Chuseok: "Will Look After Budget So Changes Can Be Felt"

Minister of Planning and Budget Park Hong-keun visited the Jungang Market in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, on the 17th ahead of the Chuseok holiday, alongside the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small Enterprise and Market Service, to explain the small business support projects included in the 2027 budget proposal, the Ministry of Planning and Budget announced.

Minister Park purchased fruits and jeon (pancakes) directly at a market store using Onnuri gift certificates and listened to the difficulties faced by merchants.

Merchants reportedly voiced hardships such as a decrease in customers due to this summer's unprecedented heatwave, burdensome cooling costs, heavy delivery commission fees, and the weight of loan repayments.

In response, Minister Park replied that the next year's budget proposal includes measures to help merchants, such as projects to ease the burden of small business debts and delivery commissions, support for installing air conditioners in traditional markets, and increased consumption benefits for digital Onnuri gift certificates in traditional markets.

Minister Park stated, "We will look after the 2027 budget proposal prepared by the government with our utmost effort so that it passes without a hitch during the National Assembly's deliberation stage, is swiftly executed on the ground, and allows merchants to truly feel the changes."

(Photo provided by the Ministry of Planning and Budget, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.