Acting president calls for protecting people's safety, national interest amid trade war

Acting President Han Duck-soo called on the government Tuesday to ensure people are safe and the national interest is secured amid the global trade war triggered by the United States.

Han made the remark during a Cabinet meeting, the first since he was reinstated as acting president after the Constitutional Court overturned his impeachment the previous day.

"The repercussions of the U.S.-triggered trade war are dealing a serious blow to the world, and the difficulties of people's livelihoods, as well as small merchants and the self-employed, are growing increasingly due to sluggish domestic demand and rising inflation," the acting president said.

"Our calling at this moment is to protect people's safety, secure the national interest from the trade war and swiftly draw up solutions to national issues through cooperation with the National Assembly."

Han said he will make every effort to navigate the "tariff storm" initiated by the U.S. by tapping into his past experience in trade and foreign policy, and actively work with both the ruling and opposition parties to provide relief to the crisis in people's livelihoods.

He called on Cabinet members to continue to pursue government policies in a timely manner while communicating them to the public.

On the wildfires that have been ravaging the nation's southeast since last Friday, Han vowed the government's unsparing support for quick damage recovery and every effort to swiftly put out the blazes with helicopters and on-ground personnel.

On the end-of-month deadline for protesting medical school students to return to their classrooms, Han said his "heart is heavy" that many have yet to return a year after the government announced an admissions hike to address a shortage of doctors.

"Medical school students are talented people who will protect the lives of both the current and future generations of the Republic of Korea," he said, referring to Korea by its formal name. "These people must now return to their places."

Han also called on the military to maintain a watertight readiness posture to be able to respond firmly to any provocation from North Korea amid the grave security situation surrounding the nation.

At a separate meeting of trade-related ministers later in the day, the acting president said he will replace the so-called external economic affairs meeting led by the deputy prime minister for economic affairs with an "economic and security strategy task force" led by himself to better respond to growing uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariff policies and other issues.

Han specially called for thorough monitoring and responses ahead of the planned announcement of new U.S. tariffs on April 2. (Yonhap)