South Korea’s Fiscal Deficit Sees Sharp Rise in Early 2025

(MENAFN) South Korea’s fiscal deficit climbed to more than 46 trillion won ($33.6 billion) during the first four months of 2025, marking the third-largest gap recorded for the January-April timeframe, according to a report from a Seoul-based news outlet on Thursday, which referenced data from the country’s Finance Ministry.

The managed fiscal balance showed a deficit of 46.1 trillion won ($33.75 billion), reflecting a modest improvement compared to the same period last year, yet it remains one of the most significant shortfalls for the early months of any year.

The Finance Ministry clarified that these figures exclude the supplementary budget approved in May and cautioned that additional supplementary budgets scheduled for later this year could further widen the deficit.

By the end of April, the central government’s total debt had reached 1,197.8 trillion won, marking a 22 trillion won increase from the previous month.

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