President Moon Jae-in said Tuesday there will be no let-up in his administration's efforts till its last day to lay the groundwork for South Korea's "great transition" toward a better future.

He cited the urgency of addressing the COVID-19 crisis, climate change and the fourth industrial revolution.

"(We) are faced with an era of a great transition into digital civilization and green civilization. This is not the philosophy or choice of our government but a global trend," he said at the start of a weekly Cabinet meeting.

Moon added his administration will do its best until the very end of its term "with a sense of heavy responsibility" to address the issues and to establish the foundation for South Korea's great transition.

His single five-year tenure is slated to finish in May 2022, with his successor to be elected two months earlier.

Regarding the pandemic, Moon reaffirmed a push for phasing out social distancing restrictions to help the public restore their daily life.

"(We) cannot indefinitely delay the time for the phased recovery of everyday life," the president stressed.

However, the rapid spread of infections nationwide, especially in the wake of the Chuseok holiday season last week, shows how rough the road for it is, he added.

Moon also pledged to redouble efforts to provide speedy financial support for the self-employed suffering more troubles due to the coronavirus, in accordance with a law on compensating them for related damages to take effect on Oct. 8. (Yonhap)