Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister, "We must strive to ensure economic issues are not overlooked... Building disinfection is also important"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, urged efforts to ensure that major economic issues such as the 100 trillion won investment project and job measures for people in their 40s are not overshadowed despite the COVID-19 outbreak. He also requested that employees in the Sejong Government Complex pay closer attention to quarantine measures following the recent confirmed cases at the complex.

Deputy Prime Minister Hong conveyed these points during an expanded executive meeting held via video conference between Seoul and Sejong on the morning of the 9th. The meeting was chaired by Hong and attended by first and second vice ministers as well as bureau and division chiefs.

At the meeting, he particularly emphasized the need to ensure that key economic issues are not neglected while responding to COVID-19. Hong said, "Please proceed with the policies presented in the 2020 economic policy direction, such as the 100 trillion won investment project, job measures for people in their 40s, the eight government-wide task forces, and the Han-georeum model, according to the original schedule without any setbacks." He added, "The reason for renaming the existing Economic Vitality Measures Meeting to the Economic Ministers' Meeting for COVID-19 Response and Economic Vitality Measures Meeting is to signify that both COVID-19 response and economic revitalization measures must be addressed."

Referring to the recent confirmed cases within the Sejong Government Complex, he stressed that employees should pay more attention to quarantine issues. He said, "Due to the nature of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, there is frequent contact with various ministries and agencies, so thorough management of both personal and facility quarantine is necessary." He added, "While we cannot force Ministry of Economy and Finance employees to wear cloth masks, as public officials, they should respect the purpose of wearing cloth masks as a matter of leading by example."

He reiterated the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s role in the COVID-19 situation. He stated, "COVID-19 quarantine, support measures for affected sectors, and efforts to minimize economic damage are the Ministry’s inevitable tasks." He continued, "Quarantine is the economy, and after quarantine, people’s livelihoods will become the economy, so the Ministry of Economy and Finance should proactively respond and prepare to revive economic vitality."

Additionally, Deputy Prime Minister Hong requested monitoring to minimize public inconvenience with the implementation of the five-day mask distribution system and emphasized the need to maintain a central role as the economic control tower and strive to find policy breakthroughs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.