S. Korea approves US$9.4b extra budget to combat coronavirus impact

A man wearing protective mask walks past a statue also with masks on, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Daegu, South Korea, March 10, 2020. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

SEOUL: South Korea's parliament approved late on Tuesday a supplementary budget of 11.7 trillion won ($9.43 billion) to combat the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak and help shore up vulnerable businesses and domestic consumption.

In a 222-1 vote, the single-chamber National Assembly approved the bill, which was nearly unchanged from the March draft proposal.