South Koreans picked the child care support budget as the best policy enacted by the finance ministry last year, the ministry said Friday.

The policy was one of the 25 candidates put to a vote on Dec. 21-30 by ordinary citizens, policy experts and journalists. The ministry said 3,402 people voted and selected the policy as the best of the year.  

The government started child care support for children aged between three and five, providing free education and day care services. The policy became a point of conflict between central and provincial governments over who will pay for the cost. The ministry decided to create a special budget through budget transfers and other extra state revenue.

Voters also lauded the aid package for trading in old gasoline-driven cars.

The ministry's reform of state subsidies was given votes as an outstanding policy that has not received due attention. The introduction of regulation-free zones was picked as a policy that may not have drawn results but needs to be sustained.

"The MPV policy selection is a means of communication between the people and the government, inviting participation by people who experience the policies in their everyday lives," the ministry said. (Yonhap)