Anchor: President Yoon Suk Yeol has pledged to freeze charges for public utilities such as expressways and railroads by as much as possible in the first half of the year to reduce the financial hardship imposed on the public. He also promised to adjust the scope and pace of energy rate hikes while urging the telecommunications and financial sectors to share the burden of inflation.
Our Kim So-yon has more. 

Report: President Yoon Suk Yeol has said that while the growth in consumer prices and interest rates has subsided as of late, ordinary citizens and the socially vulnerable are still struggling.

Presiding over an emergency economic meeting for the first time in two months on Wednesday, he expressed concern that a rise in heating bills and scheduled hikes in public utility fees will add to the public's burden.

Yoon said that utility charges managed by the central government, such as those covering public roads, rails and the postal service, will be frozen during the first half of the year as much as possible.

He also promised to adjust the pace of rate hikes for gas and electricity.

Yoon also called on telecommunications and financial companies to voluntarily seek ways to share the burden imposed by inflation, underscoring the market dominance they enjoy as industries with public roles that in turn increases their influence over household finances.

He also seemingly criticized the Moon Jae-in administration by noting that the recent increase in the burden imposed by energy and utility fees is not free from correlation to the previous government.

Denouncing policies based on populism or ideology instead of science for leading to public suffering, the president said his administration will prioritize people’s livelihoods in all policy matters and asked for cooperation from provincial authorities as well as the private sector.