South Korean Prime Minister criticizes ”previous government for its lax management” and ”I thought the country was going to perish”

South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo on the 3rd sharply pointed out that "the previous government managed finances in a loose manner."
At the “Announcement of Second Half Economic Policy Direction and Dynamic Economic Roadmap” meeting, he mentioned the high interest rates, trade deficit, and worsening fiscal figures of the past, saying, “When the current government was launched, we inherited
"Looking at the economy, I seriously thought, 'Our country may perish.'" Prime Minister Han said, "The economy we inherited was one in which finances were managed carelessly and the deficit was the world's largest.
"Interest rates were rising by almost ten times and three times at a time, to the point where the world was warning us that it was impossible to manage the economy if we thought about it rationally," he said.
He continued, "The previous government significantly increased the national debt ratio to GDP (gross domestic product)," and "If we had continued in that same direction, our government would have been in a bad shape."
"By the end of my term in 2027, the debt ratio will reach 70 percent, which is almost bankrupt," he said. "All the measures by which our economy is assessed have now normalized.
"So, there is hope ahead," he said. "The economy is currently growing at 2.6 percent, second only to the United States, and employment is at an all-time high."
Prime Minister Han said, "Interest rates are still high, but hopefully, interest rates will have no choice but to move in a downward direction. I think that in the second half of this year, interest rates will move slightly downward around the world."
"The president's strong leadership has put the situation in order," he said. "I don't know how many abuses he's heard, how many difficulties he's faced, but I think he's done a good job."
But we still managed to accomplish it," he emphasized.