South Korea to review 2 trillion won for firefighting funds

South Korea's government has agreed to consider about 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) for essential firefighting investments, a ruling party official said on Sunday, Yonhap news agency reported.

The move is part of talks to ease the fiscal burden on provincial governments, Democratic Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said at a press briefing after a consultation between the government, the ruling party and the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae.

The central government currently covers only about 10 percent of the firefighting budget, while provincial governments fund the bulk of it, Yonhap reported.

Additional budget funds for firefighting equipment, training facilities and a medical system centered on firefighting will also be factored into the review of next year's budget, Park said.

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said at the meeting that the government will review whether it is giving firefighters full support before asking them to devote themselves to public safety.

Han paid tribute to Kim Jin-seok, a firefighter who died responding to a factory fire in Bucheon, west of Seoul, last month, at the meeting held a day before the 64th Day of Firefighting.

"The lives and safety of the public are one of the top priorities," Han said.

Han also vowed to thoroughly inspect preparations for the winter cold, stressing that heavy snow and cold are natural disasters that threaten people's daily lives, she said.