President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for comprehensive steps to bolster digital security after recent data breaches at KT and Lotte Card.

During a meeting with senior aides, Lee said it was necessary to hold private firms accountable but also warned that the government must develop systematic defenses against increasingly sophisticated attacks.

He added that without security, South Korea's ambitions to become a major global player in the digital and AI sectors would be “a house of cards.”

Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, Lee instructed aides to ensure that the prices of key goods remained stable, crack down on overcharging and bolster public health measures amid a COVID-19 resurgence.

Commenting on Friday’s first meeting of a bipartisan economic council, he voiced hopes that the ruling and opposition parties could turn shared campaign pledges into joint action.

He stressed that despite political differences, both parties have a responsibility to improve people’s lives and unite national resources to address overlapping crises.