Prime minister Han Duck-soo said the government will review lifting restrictions on short-term visa issuance for Chinese travelers even before the end of February if the related COVID-19 situation is considered to be manageable.

In a presser at the Seoul Government Complex on Tuesday, Han was asked about repercussions on bilateral relations as Beijing expressed regret over South Korea's extended visa restriction.

Han said that based on PCR test results of Chinese travelers arriving in the country, a complete lifting of the measure still requires caution and added that Seoul is communicating with Beijing.

On the International Monetary Fund's latest downgraded growth forecast for the South Korean economy this year, the prime minister said it was likely difficult for the IMF to make an accurate projection in its previous October forecast due to uncertainties in interest rate hikes.

He said the IMF's one-point-seven percent growth outlook is higher than the South Korean government's own projection of one-point-six percent.