$20.9b ROK extra budget to fight slump

South Korea Tuesday announced a record 28.9 trillion won (20.9 billion dollar) extra budget aimed at pulling the country back from the brink of its first recession in 11 years.
The Strategy and Finance Ministry said the budget -- twice the size of extra spending during the 1998 Asian economic crisis -- will save and create jobs, support small businesses, invest in new growth engines and help the poor and the jobless.
The ministry said in a statement the budget, to be submitted to parliament this month, "puts priority on overcoming the economic crisis early."