President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that reviving the economy is the most pressing task ahead.

The president made the remarks in his first budget speech at the National Assembly, stressing that the nation must seek “fair growth” in which it creates new growth engines and people share in both the opportunities and outcomes of such advances.

Lee said that only through fair growth can the nation minimize polarization and inequality and move toward a society where everyone thrives together. 

The president added that restoring transparency and fairness in the capital market will initiate a virtuous cycle that helps revive the nation’s economy and foster proper growth and development for businesses, paving the way for the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index to reach the five-thousand mark.

Lee also called for a bipartisan approach in diplomacy, saying the sole way to decide whether to pursue a particular policy direction is to ask whether it serves the national interest, not whether it is liberal or conservative. 

The president then called for the prompt parliamentary approval of the proposed extra budget, worth 20-point-two trillion won, or about 14-point-nine billion U.S. dollars.