Finance minister Choo Kyung-ho has vowed active government support to resolve manpower shortages in industrial fields that threaten to hamper economic recovery.

Choo made the pledge on Monday during a meeting of economy-related ministers in Seoul.

He said that while quantitative employment indicators, including the number of people with jobs and the employment rate, are showing signs of relative stability, some industrial sectors are suffering from a workforce shortage, particularly the shipbuilding industry.

The minister said the government will take steps to expedite the entrance of some 63-thousand foreign workers.

For industries that have additional demand for foreign workforces, Choo said the government will expand the annual foreign worker quota within this month and promptly set the quota for next year at the earliest date possible.