Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said Thursday that the domestic economy was showing signs of improvement in recent days, but there's no guarantee those signs will continue.
 
The finance chief gave a keynote speech during the 180th meeting of overseas economy-related ministers. He stressed the environment at home and abroad remains challenging and that vigilance must be kept.
 
Instead of focusing on short-term indicators, Yoo called for swiftly connecting opportunities with export demand. As for opportunities, he mentioned the Korea-China free trade agreement, the Hallyu or the Korean Wave phenomenon, Western sanctions lifted in Iran and the launch of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. 
 
The minister also urged efforts to find a breakthrough by fostering new industry sectors, dubbed the "fourth industrial revolution." 
 
Noting the success of the hit drama series "Descendants of the Sun," also very popular in China, Yoo called for boosting competitiveness of cultural contents and utilizing the Korean Wave to expand market inroads.