Seoul cuts ODA by 16% in shift toward quality over quantity

The Lee Jae Myung administration on Thursday confirmed a more than 16 percent cut in South Korea’s official development assistance for this year, marking a pullback after years of rapid expansion. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said the reduction reflects the government’s push to improve the quality and transparency of foreign aid, criticizing the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration for expanding ODA at the expense of project quality. “The government has been considering fundamental reforms to th

By The Korea Herald