South Korea’s government and ruling Democratic Party agreed to consider about 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) for essential firefighting investments, including equipment, training facilities and a medical system supporting firefighting operations. Democratic Party of Korea chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said the review aims to ease the fiscal burden on provincial governments, which currently fund most firefighting spending while the central government covers about 10%. Officials also discussed broader financing measures, including the Future Response Fund and a possible redirection of part of 1.5 trillion won in local education tax revenue from tobacco consumption tax, an allocation scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said the government would examine whether firefighters receive full support before asking them to protect public safety. At the meeting, held a day before the 64th anniversary of the Day of Firefighting, Han paid tribute to Kim Jin-seok, a firefighter who died responding to a factory fire in Bucheon last month, and pledged thorough preparations for winter cold and heavy snow.