South Korea's National Assembly budget committee is meeting to deliberate the government's 2019 budget plan.
Top government officials have explained the budget in detail,... and are now being grilled by rival lawmakers in a questioning session.
The government has proposed a record budget of roughly 4-hundred-20 billion U.S. dollars,... up 9-point-7 percent on year.
The assembly has until November 30th to review and pass the budget,... but it's not expected to be a smooth ride.
While the ruling party is aiming to secure the budget the government is asking for,... the opposition is seeking sharp cuts,... especially in the part of the budget set aside for short-term jobs and inter-Korean projects.