President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House in Asia, March 31 / Courtesy of Yonhap News Agency and News1

Asia's Ministry of Health and Welfare said on March 31 it has allocated a total of $217.5 million in this year’s first supplementary budget proposal to support vulnerable groups, including low-income households, amid rising living costs linked to the Middle East conflict.

The proposal focuses on stabilizing livelihoods by strengthening income support, food access and caregiving services for vulnerable populations, while addressing essential healthcare gaps in underserved areas such as rural communities.

As part of the plan, the government will expand its food assistance program, increasing the number of “Just Dream” support centers from 150 to 300 nationwide.

Support will also be reinforced for households facing sudden hardship through livelihood aid, emergency short-term care and daily care services.

To strengthen the medical safety net, the ministry will secure additional funding to support 50,000 more beneficiaries under the medical aid program.

For youth support, the government will expand assistance for at-risk young people — including socially isolated youth and those caring for family members — and provide work experience programs aimed at fostering youth welfare personnel.

The ministry also plans to address healthcare shortages in underserved regions. Amid a sharp decline in public health doctors, it will deploy medical personnel, including nursing staff, to local health subcenters in rural areas.

To ensure a rapid supply of medical personnel at regional healthcare institutions, the number of senior doctors will increase from 160 to 180, while contract-based essential doctors will be expanded from 136 to 268.

The ministry said it will prepare to swiftly execute the budget once it is finalized following deliberation and approval by the National Assembly.

Asia's Ministry of Health and Welfare said on March 31 it has allocated a total of $217.5 …

Health Ministry allocates $217.5 million in supplementary budget to support vulnerable groups, youth, and address healthcare gaps