Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday instructed his aides to swiftly prepare for an extra budget to help stabilize people's livelihoods and promote an economic recovery as the nation's economy is bracing for an impact from an intensifying war in the Middle East. Lee made the call during a meeting with senior presidential aides, expressing concerns that heightening instability in the Middle East could weaken consumer and investment sentiment.

According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee emphasized the necessity of swiftly injecting funds to ensure that people's livelihoods and the economic recovery do not lose momentum, especially in times of crisis. He stated, "A supplementary budget is unavoidable, so I ask that it be drafted as quickly as possible."

Lee urged officials to expedite the drafting process of the supplementary budget, which traditionally takes one to two months. He called for wisdom in not only overcoming the current crisis affecting people's livelihoods but also in leveraging the crisis as an opportunity for a significant national transformation.