South Korea's government plans to release its public reserves of urea and urea solution (used widely in diesel vehicles and agricultural fertilisers) before the end of April to ease supply shortages linked to the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol announced the measure at a virtual emergency economic meeting, describing the Middle East war as the single greatest risk factor for the global economy. The government also plans to fast-track a 6.1 trillion-won ($4.12 billion) supplementary budget, including cash assistance for the bottom 70 percent of income earners to help offset rising oil prices.