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The key to this additional measure is to cut gas rates, and KOGAS has to bear the money for this discount.

Still, receivables reached 9 trillion won as of last year, and if the cost of discounting this time is added to the need to raise gas rates, gas rates will inevitably rise much more than now.

In addition, business is not possible due to the economic downturn, and self-employed or small business owners who have no choice but to use a lot of gas are excluded from support.



Reporter Kim Kwan-jin pointed out the controversy of additional measures and what needs to be supplemented.



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Park Young-hee, who runs a tofu shop in the market, sighs naturally at the high heating bill.



She can't even turn her heat down as she cares for her dementia-stricken husband in a small room attached to the store.



[Park Young-hee/Tofu shop operation: It's a bit difficult to just eat and live with this.

I think it was 200,000 won more.

I don't use it much these days, but there are so many of them...

.]



When the self-employed and small business owners were not included in the list of additional support for heating costs, market merchants were in tears.



Not only restaurants, but also bathhouses and welfare facilities that use a lot of gas have seen a surge in burden, but they were not eligible for support.



The subject of the subsidy is also controversial.



It is a method of discounting gas bills rather than directly giving money, and KOGAS bears the burden.



The Ministry of Industry explained, “During the first support measures, such as expanding energy vouchers, a budget of 180 billion won was set, including reserve funds, but this time, KOGAS bears the discount as operating costs without a separate budget.”



The burden on KOGAS is about 300 billion won.



However, if the finances of KOGAS, which already has a deficit of 9 trillion won, become more difficult, the discount will inevitably be reflected in the gas rate hike again.



If the target of support is not thicker, there may be voices of dissatisfaction, as the heating costs of the vulnerable are eventually solved by other citizens paying more.



(Video editing: Hwang Ji-young)