Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon says the government will carefully decide the pace of increase in the national minimum wage from 2019, considering various conditions.

Kim made the remarks on Wednesday during a parliamentary interpellation session in response to a question about the minimum wage.

The minister explained the government decided to raise the minimum wage for next year by a relatively high 16-point-four percent, and acknowledged it should be raised further, but said they plan to carefully review the pace of increase after next year.