South Korean President-elect Lee Myung-bak (L) of the conservative main opposition Grand National Party waves his hand to supporters in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007. (Xinhua/Newsis Photo)
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SEOUL, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- South Korean president-elect Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that his incoming administration will launch new policy in the country when he took office on Feb. 25 next year.
"Change in our times is the oxygen of our ear. Without change, it is impossible to become a fully developed economy or to construct a New Development economy. It is imperative to foster change that uplifts our nation's destiny," Lee said at a news conference with local and foreign media earlier Thursday.
EMPHASIS ON ECONOMIC GROWTH
"The Lee Myung-bak Administration promises to develop new engines of growth based on creativity. I will also create an environment where business can invest freely and without hindrance," said Lee, who was elected president in Wednesday's presidential polls.
Lee, a former Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co. CEO, is expected to adjust the current policy on taxation, restriction on investment of large conglomerates and real estates in a bid to shift the economic emphasis from the wealth distribution to growth.
He promised to achieve an annual economic growth rate of 7 percent, which allow 600,000 new jobs created, and double the country's current per capita GDP of 20,000 U.S. dollars within 10 years, leading South Korea to the list of top 7 economies in the world.
CLOSER TIES WITH U.S., JAPAN
Lee set the restoration of the S. Korea-U.S. alliance based on the established friendship as one of the major goals of his administration.
Following a landslide victory in the elections on Wednesday, Lee of the conservative Grand National Party on Thursday visited the U.S. and Japanese ambassadors to South Korea to express his will to develop closer ties between South Korea and the two allies.
During the meeting with Alexander Vershbow, U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Lee pledged that his administration will work to reshape the South Korea-U.S. relationship.
Alexander confirmed that U.S. President George W. Bush was expected to call Lee later in the day to congratulate him on his election victory.
In a separate meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Toshinori Shigeie, Lee said he will work to improve Seoul's ties with Tokyo, which have recently deteriorated due to territorial and historical disputes.
"I believe not only the relationship between the two nations but the overall relationship between nations in Northeast Asia must be improved," Lee said.
SMALLER GOVERNMENT
Lee promised to establish a "smaller but efficient government" during his election campaign by reducing central administrative organizations and restricting the hiring of civil servants.
In a bid to cut government spending by 10 percent, he pledged to freeze the number of public servants at the current level and whittle down the current 56 ministries and smaller central government branches and restructure 416 government-affiliated committees.
WELFARE POLICY
Lee said on Thursday that the incoming administration will make efforts to help all those who reside in South Korea to live in happy.
"From birth to old age and every step in between, all of us deserve a quality life," he promised.
He suggested earlier the provision of welfare services including "welfare-to-work" packages to reduce the widening income gap between the wealthy and poor families.
Lee said that economic prosperity and an overall improvement in the standard of living can both be achieved if conditions are met.
"Finding an alternative engine for growth, creating jobs through stimulating investment and putting a working welfare system in place are the three core elements for balanced growth," he added.
INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS
Lee said his administration will persuade the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to denuclearize within the framework of the six-party talks and boost the U.S.-DPRK dialogue.
"Through denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, the South (Korea) and the North (DPRK) can foster a new era of cooperation," he said. "The road towards peaceful unification is one that can be guaranteed by peace through co-existence."
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