Lawmakers clash over 2019 budget allocated for inter-Korean cooperative projects

야당 "남북협력기금 세부내역 공개해야" vs 통일부 "공개 못 해"Back here in the nation, deliberation of the government's 4-hundred-20 billion U.S. dollar spending plan for 2019 continues at parliament.At the budget committee on Friday, an in-depth screening of budget allocation for non-economic areas was held, with a focus on those linked to North Korea.Lawmakers clashed over roughly 980 million U.S. dollars earmarked for inter-Korean projects, with the opposition criticizing the government for not disclosing the specifics of how some one third of that amount would be used.The ruling party said that withholding the details of some parts of the budget is a custom that was also observed by past administrations. The unification minister also claimed that revealing specifics could risk exposing the nation's diplomatic strategies towards North Korea.