President Lee Jae-myung on the 1st said the government should actively push measures such as expanding the supply of discounted reserve volumes of agricultural, livestock and fisheries products to substantially ease the burden of grocery prices.
Presiding over a Cabinet meeting that morning, Lee said this in relation to responding to "Chuseok prices."
Lee noted that the outlook of exceeding 3% economic growth this year is becoming a reality thanks to explosive export growth, but pointed out that, unlike the favorable trend in key indicators, conditions for people's livelihoods remain difficult.
He added that above all, living costs are unstable, and although consumer price increases are limited, the recent rise in meat, vegetables and table prices has made the public's perceived price burden considerable.
Lee said that moreover, Chuseok comes earlier than usual this year, and with significant damage to crops and livestock due to abnormal weather overlapping with the early Chuseok, there is a high possibility of price instability spreading, centered on holiday essentials. He said more preemptive and thorough support measures must be established.
He also said that financial support for small business owners and small and midsize companies must be carried out without gaps, and asked officials to make special efforts to prevent unjust "trick" price hikes, especially when the burden of importing raw materials has eased due to recent exchange-rate stability.