Anchor: Marking the National Foundation Day on Tuesday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo vowed there will be all-out efforts by the government in paving the road for a new South Korea as he said the nation currently stands at a crossroads between making a leap forward and taking a step back. As South Korea faces a population crisis due to the low birthrate, the PM called for efforts to make South Korea more inclusive for foreigners in the nation.
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has promised efforts to make South Korea more inclusive for around two-point-four million foreigners in the nation. 

Han made the pledge in a speech marking the 4355th National Foundation Day on Tuesday.

[Sound bite: Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (Korean-English)]
"Seven-point-five million Koreans are living overseas in foreign countries while two-point-45 million foreigners reside in Korean society... " 
"We would like to add openness and inclusiveness to the Korean spirit stemming from Dangun's ancestry in order to ensure various cultures coexist in harmony."

The speech came as the nation is celebrating its homogeneous and racially distinctive foundation tracing back to the mythical figure of Dangun.

With an extremely low fertility rate standing at zero-point-78, however, South Korea now has to rely more on immigration and foreign workers to offset the population crisis.

[Sound bite: Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (Korean-English)]
"The global competition for technological hegemony, restructuring of global supply chains and changes in population structures are threatening the sustainability of our economy. But crises of changes often provide opportunities. We must shift the disposition of our economy and prepare for the future."   

Prime Minister Han also promised bold deregulation to ride out the demographic challenges and economic uncertainties surrounding the nation.  

While citing a rise in global oil prices and falling semiconductor exports, Han said deregulation measures will lead to investment and technological innovations that the country needs. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.