Kodaira embedding theorem provides an effective characterization of
projectivity of a K\"ahler manifold in terms the second cohomology. Recently X.
Yang [21] proved that any compact K\"ahler manifold with positive holomorphic
sectional curvature must be projective. This gives a metric criterion of the
projectivity in terms of its curvature. In this note, we prove that any compact
K\"ahler manifold with positive 2nd scalar curvature (which is the average of
holomorphic sectional curvature over 2-dimensional subspaces of the tangent
space) must be projective. In view of generic 2-tori being non-abelian, this
new curvature characterization is sharp in certain sense