The veterans ministry said Wednesday it is seeking an 8 percent hike in its 2027 budget to expand veterans benefits, support independence fighters’ descendants and prepare for the 2029 Invictus Games in Daejeon. It proposed 7.22 trillion won, up 532 billion won from this year’s 6.68 trillion won. The plan also includes raising basic compensation, lowering veterans hospital eligibility to age 65 and turning Hyochang Park into a national cemetery with a public cultural space.
Korean War veterans salute during a UN Forces Participation Day ceremony in Seoul, July 27. Yonhap
The veterans ministry said Wednesday it is seeking an 8 percent hike in its 2027 budget to expand veterans benefits, support independence fighters' descendants and host an international sports event for injured soldiers.
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said it has proposed 7.22 trillion won ($5.25 billion) for next year's budget, up by 532 billion won from this year's 6.68 trillion won.
The draft proposal calls for raising basic compensation for war veterans and allowances for persons of national merit, as well as benefits for descendants of independence fighters from Japan's 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.
