[Anchor]
President Moon Jae-in has promised a clear recovery of South Korea's economy.
In a budget speech delivered Wednesday morning to the National Assembly, Moon also vowed to create more jobs and stabilize the coronavirus situation in the country.
Ron Chang reports.
[Reporter]
Moon assured lawmakers that the government would create a record high budget for 2021 with a focus on creating jobs, reinvigorating the economy and winning the fight against the coronavirus.
To do this, his administration has drawn up a 555.8 trillion-won budget bill, an 8.5 percent hike from this year.
Moon said it's time to get back on track.
He described a clear economic recovery and a win in the fight against COVID-19 as "two rabbits" that South Korea should catch at the same time, without fail.
The president also told lawmakers he would get to the bottom of North Korea's fatal shooting of a South Korean fisheries official last month, saying the incident is a stark reminder of the urgent need to form a peace regime.
At the same time, he stressed that strong security is still the base of peace, and investments will be made to strengthen the military, while Seoul continues to seek out dialogue with Pyongyang to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
