Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, speaks during a meeting with senior members of the presidential office and the ruling People Power Party at the National Assembly, Jan. 8. Yonhap

Prime Minister Han Duk-soo said Sunday the government will push incessantly for reform measures in key sectors in close consultations with the National Assembly.

He was speaking at the outset of the first regular high-level meeting of 2023 with the representatives of the presidential office and the ruling People Power Party (PPP).

"The global economy is forecast to face challenges this year due to sluggish economic growth in the United States, the European Union and China," Han pointed out during the session held at the National Assembly.

He expressed hope for the implementation of a strong reform drive and steps to improve the livelihoods of the people as the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has entered its second year in office.

Yoon's chief of staff Kim Dae-ki asked for bipartisan support to pave the way for structural reforms in three key sectors ― labor, education and pension ― and help prop up the local economy.

"Out of the 100 bills proposed by the (Yoon) government since it was launched, 95 failed to pass," Kim said in his opening remarks. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea controls the National Assembly with 169 out of 299 seats.

Chung Jin-suk, interim leader of the PPP, emphasized that 2023 is an appropriate time to push for key reform measures, noting there is no national election in the year.

"We need to focus on the economy and national security, and accelerate labor, pension and educational reforms for future generations," he added. (Yonhap)