SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea’s government plans to raise budget spending for next year by the steepest pace in four years as the country’s new president seeks to spur economic growth through a policy of boosting investment in artificial intelligence. In its annual spending plan released on Friday, the finance ministry set total government expenditure for 2026 at 728.0 trillion won ($524.44 billion). President Lee Jae Myung, who took office on June 4, has vowed expansionary fiscal policy to boost growth, in contrast to the three years of the administration of his conservative predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol who prioritised fiscal sustainability.