Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun vowed to take steps to revitalize the economy battered by the COVID-19 pandemic in the second half of the year.

At a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Chung said while quarantine is the utmost priority, the country also faces the challenge of breathing life back into the economy.

The prime minister pledged to exert efforts toward reviving exports and domestic demand, protecting jobs and businesses, and reinforcing the social safety net.

On quarantine efforts against COVID-19, Chung called for measures to proactively defend vulnerable areas and to more effectively fend off imported cases.

Chung urged the National Assembly to promptly handle the government's third extra budget bill and ordered the Cabinet to thoroughly prepare to implement the budget upon parliamentary approval.