South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued his first apology over his wife receiving a luxury handbag under questionable circumstances, highlighting his efforts to set a new course for his government after a stinging defeat in parliamentary elections. In his first news conference in about two years, Yoon pledged Thursday to improve livelihoods and create a new ministry to boost the country’s birthrate, which is ranked lowest in the world and threatens long-term economic prospects. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] He also laid out priorities for his remaining time in office, which include taming inflation, boosting growth led by the private sector and raising the basic pension for senior citizens to 400,000 won ($292) a month.