Prime Minister Han: "Rising Middle East Tensions Increasing Inflationary Pressures... Need to Monitor Unfair Practices"

The 40th Cabinet Meeting

With the Chuseok holiday just ten days away, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook stated on September 15, "Growing tensions from the Middle East war are driving international oil prices to surge steeply, further increasing inflationary pressures." She urged, "Please pay close attention to the onsite situation to ensure that holiday goods are supplied on time and to monitor for any unfair practices, such as violations in displayed pricing."

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on September 15, 2026. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Prime Minister Han presided over the 40th Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office that morning, adding, "The government is doing its utmost to stabilize prices for the Chuseok holiday."

In addition, the meeting addressed issues regarding the construction of power transmission networks for the "Three Major Mega Projects," which include the Honam Semiconductor Cluster. Prime Minister Han emphasized, "The essential key to the success of these mega projects is the timely supply of power and the early construction of transmission networks." She continued, "The government is steadfastly upholding the principle of expanding the transmission network, while considering ways to minimize the burden on local residents and to provide them with tangible benefits."

While President Lee Jaemyung is holding the "1st Korea-Central Asia Summit" with the leaders of five Central Asian countries currently visiting Korea, Prime Minister Han highlighted that "Central Asia possesses abundant mineral and energy resources, making it a vital economic partner for diversifying supply chains." She called on relevant ministries to "ensure that thorough follow-up measures are taken so that tangible results can be achieved."

Meanwhile, at the Cabinet meeting, the government reviewed and approved a proposal to extend the dispatch periods of the Republic of Korea military units participating in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), with each mission extended by one year until the end of next year. The Lebanese peacekeeping mission has been operating since July 2007, and the South Sudan mission since March 2013, with annual extensions granted for each deployment period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.