South Korea Budget Minister Meets FKTU Chief on 2027 Budget Planning

According to Yonhap, South Korea's budget minister Park Hong-keun met with Kim Dong-myeong, president of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), to discuss labor issues and reflect workers' views in next year's budget planning. The Ministry of Planning and Budget said the two sides covered a wide range of labor-related topics tied to South Korea's long-term development. Park said the government is stepping up efforts to narrow gaps in the labor market and reduce job insecurity for non-regular public-sector workers. He also said the ministry wants to strengthen the social safety net while preserving fiscal sustainability as South Korea faces low birth rates, population aging and industrial changes driven by AI technologies. Park added that the ministry will examine steps to improve workers' treatment when it prepares the 2027 budget and will keep communicating with labor and other stakeholders while increasing investment in working conditions and social protection.