Seoul: Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol announced that the government's economic policy for 2026 will prioritize the stabilization of people's livelihoods. Koo made this statement while leading an inaugural meeting of ministers, highlighting the importance of creating a strong foundation for citizens' well-being as the starting point for significant economic progress. According to Yonhap News Agency, the government has identified the "livelihood economy" as its primary policy focus for the year, establishing a new ministerial meeting to coordinate related initiatives. Koo emphasized that stabilizing livelihoods will enhance domestic demand, invigorate the economy, and help reduce income and asset disparities. Koo stressed the importance of stabilizing food prices as a crucial aspect of ensuring stable livelihoods. The government plans to collaborate with relevant ministries to structurally stabilize food prices. As part of these efforts, preemptive measures will be taken in response to the recent avian influe nza outbreak and the increasing number of culled laying hens. South Korea reported another case of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm on Tuesday, raising the total number of cases this season to 33. In light of this, Koo announced that the government would unveil measures to improve the livestock distribution structure as early as next week.