Choi Sang-mok, Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Strategy and Finance, said on the 20th that he "considers it very meaningful" that the ruling and opposition parties have agreed on the 국민연금 (National Pension) reform plan involving parametric reform, adding, "For the guarantee of citizens' retirement income and the sustainability of pension finances, the introduction of an automatic adjustment mechanism and structural reform must also be pursued."
Acting President Choi made these remarks at the 'Livelihood Economy Inspection Meeting' held in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk Province, to check the preparation status for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, stating, "Parametric reform of the 국민연금 has been achieved for the first time in 18 years."
He added, "I hope that the newly formed National Assembly Pension Special Committee will conclude pension reform by reaching an agreement on structural reform tasks through in-depth discussions."
On the same day, Acting President Choi visited Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk Province, to inspect the preparation status for the APEC summit and held a livelihood economy inspection meeting in the tourism sector. Regarding the successful conclusion of the 1st Senior Officials' Meeting, the Deputy Finance Minister and Central Bank Vice Governors' Meeting held in Gyeongju in February and March, he mentioned, "Despite the severe domestic and international environment, it was an opportunity to demonstrate Korea's political and economic resilience to the international community."
After having lunch with members of the regional APEC Pan-City and Citizen Support Council, including the Gyeongju Chamber of Commerce and tourism organizations, Acting President Choi visited ‘Dayeon’, ‘Gyochon Uisangsil’, ‘Gyochon Garam’, and ‘Gyodong Beopju’ in Gyochon Hanok Village, participating in experiential activities such as rice cake making and tea ceremonies.
He then held a livelihood economy inspection meeting at the Choi Buja Academy located in Gyochon Hanok Village, Gyeongju. He stated, "Although the number of tourists visiting Korea recently has reached an all-time high, competition to attract tourists from neighboring countries is intensifying, and inbound tourists are concentrated in certain areas such as Seoul," adding, "We will promote growth in tourism exports and drive domestic demand through strategies to diversify inbound markets, products, and routes."
Acting President Choi announced, "To diversify inbound markets, we will implement a temporary visa exemption for Chinese group tourists in the third quarter and will announce a detailed implementation plan in April." He plans to expand the supply of customized tourism products to convert potential demand from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other regions into actual visits to Korea.
Additionally, he plans to prepare experiential tourism products linked with various industries such as K-Food, beauty, content, and sports, and from May, operate an ‘Inbound One-Stop’ consultation support window within the Korea Tourism Industry Portal for local governments and small business owners who want to attract foreign tourists.
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