Choi Sang-mok's comments came during a speech at the Independence Movement Day ceremony on Saturday (Mar 1), a holiday marking the anniversary of the 1919 Korean uprising against Japanese colonial rule.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a string of legal battles as the suspended leader fights to save his political career – and avoid prison – following his brief imposition of martial law last year.
South Korea's exports are estimated to have risen in February, a Reuters poll showed, but the return to growth was largely due to more working days in the month and economists said the country's trade momentum was weakening amid a global tariff war.
South Korea's acting President and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed tariffs, investment and forex policy in a video call, South Korea's finance ministry said on Friday.
South Korea's record-low birth rate rose in 2024, the country's statistics agency reported on Wednesday, marking the first increase in nine years in a slight respite from a looming demographic crisis.