Quotations of the day

I am spending one day after another in Japan with the same resolve as that formed by a general who burned the bridges behind him. (A CEO of a toll-free Internet phone service provider on Sunday, telling of a life devoted to negotiating with foreign partners in hopes of attracting investors and overseas alliances and thus helping end the current crisis in the local venture industry.)

For the first time in many years with this company I have seen the management admit their mistakes and apologize for them. (A Daewoo Motor employee in reference to an open apology delivered by company president Lee Young-Kook through the in-house communication line. Lee's remarks came amid a controversy over the alleged intervention of company management in voting on voluntary resignations.)

Can anyone become a party boss or lead a company? (A donga.com netizen on Sunday, criticizing the recent appointment of a new Millennium Democratic Party chairman and the methods used in banking sector restructuring.)

I made elaborate notes of what I saw in order to avoid public criticism that overseas trips by officials were made for the purpose of sightseeing. (Pusan city's Yeongdo ward council member, Park Dong-Sam on Sunday, upon presenting his 109-page report on his overseas observation visits to five countries in Europe. It contained a minutely detailed record of his 12-day trip, along with photos.)