Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has raised the need for a quick policy change to improve fiscal soundness.
 
Han made the call during a meeting of the Korea News Editors' Association on Wednesday, saying it was heartbreaking to see the country's deteriorating fiscal health.

He said the government should promptly change the direction of its fiscal policy, apparently criticizing the previous administration’s expansionary fiscal spending.
 
For Korea to become richer and more powerful, the prime minister mentioned the need for diplomacy that promotes the national interest and a solid defense posture. 
 
To maintain a strong economic balance externally, he said it is necessary to reach a certain level of surplus in the balance of international payments.
 
Han added that the country also needs to increase total factor productivity, which refers to output that is not explained by traditional inputs of labor and capital but is a measurement of the added value created by invisible production factors such as technological development.