[Editorial] We Sympathize with the Purpose of the Future Response Fund, but the National Assembly Must Scrutinize Its Use and Resources

The government formally announced a plan to create a "Future Response Fund" on January 21st, which would use surplus revenues from additional taxes and over-collected taxes as its source of funding. While the exact size of the fund was not specified, it is expected to exceed 100 trillion won in its first year. The fund is intended to bolster future growth drivers, primarily by investing in emerging growth engines.

However, it is crucial that the National Assembly thoroughly review this fund to ensure that it does not lead to financial instability or misuse of taxpayers' money. The fund is designed to support four key areas: young people, growth-oriented capabilities, local governments, and education. These areas include advanced and preferred occupation training and job experience, expanding affordable housing options, constructing a housing ladder with a combination of rent, mortgage, and self-ownership, mitigating housing and child-rearing costs, frontier-level AI development, infrastructure for "AI 3G," 7th Seed Technologies such as small modular reactors, space aviation, and quantum technology, domestic infrastructure expansion and basic income for rural areas, government support for local government finance, and education for humanities and science professionals, attracting top international talent, enhancing higher and lifelong education, and supporting early childhood education.

The fund's source of funding may also include over-collected taxes and surplus funds, which could lead to concerns about the fund's accountability and potential misuse. The fund's investment areas and funding mechanisms should be carefully scrutinized by the National Assembly to ensure that taxpayers' money is not wasted.