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The announcement came even as the number of new jobs surged due to rising private-sector hiring, Yonhap news agency reported.

The report said the number of people holding jobs in December totaled 23.68 million, up 455,000 from the same month of last year.

"Hiring remained robust in non-public sectors, helped by brisk industrial production and exports", the government said. "The manufacturing, health, social welfare, facility maintenance and construction sectors saw continued job growth."

The December job figures raised optimism about the economic recovery, Yonhap said.

However, younger people were still finding it hard to get jobs. The jobless rate among the 15-to-29 age group jumped to 8 percent in December from 6.4 percent a month earlier, as more such people returned to the job market.

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