PM opposes expanding heating bill support

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Tuesday voiced opposition to calls to provide more financial support to help people cope with a spike in heating and energy bills, citing the sustainability of fiscal soundness.

“The Republic of Korea’s fiscal policy should not be evaluated as a sham, both internally and externally,” Han told a parliamentary meeting, referring to South Korea by its official name.

Han made the remarks in response to a lawmaker’s question on whether the government would expand its support for heating bills.

Last week, the government announced a set of measures to help vulnerable people who face soaring heating and energy bills.