SEOUL. June 5: South Korea on Saturday advanced its targets In the fight against unemployment. promising to lower its jobless rate to six per cent by the end of the year instead of next year, says AFP.

The revised target, taken at a meeting of economic ministers today, reflected an upbeat mood over the country's economic prospects.

Gross domestic product for the first six months this year is now expected to surpass five per cent, after an earlier government forecast for the first half was two per cent.

Under the new employment target, the number of Jobless is - expected to be reduced from 1.55 million as at the end of April to 1.3 million by the end of December as the improving economy creates jobs.

. Previously, the government had said the number of jobless would not be down to 1.3 million until sometime in 2000. In percentage terms the jobless rate will be lowered from 6.9 per cent to six per cent.

In order to meet the new target, the government will inject public funds to help create small and mid-sized firms and venture capital firms.

South Korea's Jobless rate has declined gradually since February when it hit a record 8.7 per cpnt

The National Statistical Office said 1.55 million people, or 7.2 per cent of the workforce, were out of work in April, down from 1.7 million, or 8.1 per cent, in March.

President Kim Dae-Jung said the government would increase the public funds allocation to fight unemployment in 1999 to 10 trillion won (8.4 billion dollars) from 7.7 trillion set earlier.