Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Saturday that just as highways and high-speed internet networks once drove South Korea's rapid economic development, the government's three mega projects could open a new era of growth if executed with urgency. "If the ruling party, the government, the presidential office and the private sector all become one team, good results will follow," she said.
Han made the remarks in her opening statement at a senior ruling party-government consultative meeting held at the prime minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. She described the three mega projects — covering semiconductors, AI data centers and physical AI — as "an extraordinarily challenging task that connects into one big picture and will shape the country's national competitiveness over the next three years."
Han said South Korea possesses world-class competitiveness in the information technology sector and has a proven track record of success in both industrialization and informatization that surpasses other nations. "We have more than enough underlying strength and foundation to lead the world in the age of artificial intelligence," she said.
She went on to say that hearing about the three mega projects "made my heart race," adding that realizing such a national vision in concrete results would require pooling efforts together.
Han also highlighted survey results showing South Korea had risen nine places to sixth in the OECD's public-sector trust survey compared with the previous edition, calling it "a precious achievement made together by all citizens and the government."
She added, however, that the results prompted her to reflect on whether the government was living up to that trust through tangible improvements in people's livelihoods.
Han pledged that addressing external economic uncertainty and reviving the domestic economy were the major tasks before her. "The government will carefully look after everything from grocery prices to the burden on ordinary citizens," she said.
Turning to the Democratic Party of Korea, Han urged the Assembly to act swiftly on legislation directly tied to economic recovery. "Bills directly linked to reviving people's livelihoods must pass the National Assembly as soon as possible to breathe vitality into communities," she said, asking lawmakers to take an active interest as the government does its utmost to deliver results.
20ki@heraldcorp.com
