[2027 Budget Plan] 4.3 Trillion Won for Safety and Public Order... AI to Prevent Disasters, State Compensation Increased Ninefold

401 Billion Won in New Support for Workplaces Vulnerable to Fires and Explosions

Drug Smuggling Report Rewards Increased to 17.5 Billion Won

The government has increased the budget for creating a safer society—including disaster prevention and the establishment of public order—from 3.1 trillion won this year to 4.3 trillion won next year, a 39% increase. This reflects a strong commitment to enhancing national responsiveness to complex disasters such as floods, wildfires, and algal blooms.

Tree branches and other debris swept away by heavy rain have piled up around the restaurant and shopping district beneath Donghaksa Temple on Gyeryongsan Mountain in Banpoh-myeon, Gongju City, Chungcheongnam-do. 2026.7.9 Yonhap News Photo by Yonhap News

First, the budget for maintenance of flood and storm-prone residential areas will be increased from 1.1 trillion won to 1.3 trillion won, while the number of newly designated maintenance zones will expand from 42 to 54. With flood damage becoming increasingly routine due to the climate crisis, expanding prevention infrastructure in residential areas has emerged as a central task. The government is also focusing on solving the algal bloom problem. Its goal is to achieve 'zero algal blooms' during its term, allocating 203 billion won to improve water quality in major water systems such as the Nakdong River, Doamho Lake, and Soyangho Lake.

The government will also accelerate the adoption of advanced disaster response technology. It plans to introduce 49 unmanned firefighting robots (both wheeled and quadrupedal models), 22 coastal patrol drones, 33 rescue motorboats, and 2 forestry helicopters—deploying 105.4 billion won, more than double last year's allocation. The advanced technology-based response system is expected to accelerate initial responses to wildfires and urban fires on various disaster sites and minimize casualties.

Workplace safety will also be strengthened. Next year’s new initiatives include specialized support for workplaces vulnerable to fire and explosions (40.1 billion won), high-risk mitigation in small businesses (30 billion won), and expanded on-site inspections and consulting (15.5 billion won). In addition, support for the health management of high-risk workers will increase to 124.5 billion won, while the government introduces a new pre-compensation system for industrial accident victims (43.6 billion won) to help them return to work.

Furthermore, a comprehensive, full-cycle national drug response system will be established. The reward for reporting drug smuggling will be significantly increased from 800 million won to 17.5 billion won, and the budget for drug misuse prevention and public awareness will rise from 11.8 billion won to 13 billion won. Infrastructure for treatment and rehabilitation will also be strengthened, enhancing post-management and support for the reintegration of people with addictions. In particular, 64 additional rehabilitation personnel for probation and correctional institutions handling drug offenders will be hired.

In the areas of public order and judicial reform, the budget for national compensation payments to provide swift relief for victims will be increased drastically from 100 billion won to 900 billion won. The establishment of the Central Investigation Agency (472.4 billion won) and the Prosecution Agency (1.0854 trillion won), along with upgrades to court infrastructure, will proceed as scheduled. Equipment at the front lines of law enforcement—such as artificial intelligence (AI) robots and investigative vehicles—will be expanded to strengthen responses to crimes affecting people’s livelihoods. The Korea Coast Guard will newly deploy enforcement vessels to crack down on illegal foreign vessels (63.1 billion won) and will reinforce coastal safety management equipment (6.1 billion won) to bolster maritime safety capabilities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.