Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok visits apple farms and apple research center in Gunwi-gun, Daegu

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok visited the apple production complex located in Gunwi-gun, Daegu Metropolitan City and the Apple Research Center of the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science on April 1 to review the current status of apple growth management and response to low-temperature damage during the flowering period, and discuss ways to improve the competitiveness of the fruit tree industry. The area visited on this day was designated as a special disaster area last year due to damage from cold weather in the spring and typhoons in the summer, resulting in a 43% decrease in apple production compared to normal. The government plans to expand the disaster prevention facility supply rate, which is currently only 1-15% of the apple cultivation area, to 30% by 2030 to ensure stable fruit production even in the three major disasters such as cold, typhoons, and heat waves.

First Vice Minister Kim Byeong-hwan visits Namdong National Industrial Complex in Incheon

Kim Byeong-hwan, First Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance, visited the Namdong National Industrial Complex in Incheon on March 27 and inspected the progress of measures to resolve vacant jobs and listened to suggestions through an inspection of the root Industry production site. He said “While a solid employment trend continues, with the number of employed people continuing to increase in the 300,000 range and the employment rate hitting an all-time high for 25 consecutive months, the number of vacant jobs decreased from 220,000 in 2022 to 2023 thanks to policy efforts to support employment for the vulnerable and resolve vacant jobs. In 2018, it decreased to 209,000. However, as there are still companies experiencing hiring difficulties and people experiencing difficulties finding jobs, the relevant ministries and local governments plan to closely examine the status and effectiveness of policy implementation together and actively reflect opinions from the field to continuously supplement policy tasks.”