President Roh Committed to Reform Next Year

President Roh Moo-hyun expressed his continued determination to pursue government reform on December 17, saying, “In fact, looking back on the past, the results of reform have always been enough,” and, “But we should not give up and should brace ourselves. I will do that as well in the coming year.”

President Roh mentioned this in a lunch meeting in Cheong Wa Dae with around eighty officials, including a section chief of the central government bodies who is in charge of business reform. He also said, “At least one-hundredths should become a leading team in the structure. It is possible to bring change in officeholders’ society only when you become a leading power for change.”

President Roh emphasized his theory for reform by a few as he continued, saying, “There should be at least 500 leading teams for change in an organization of 50,000,” presenting eight strategic cases from a book called The Art of Change.

He also said, “One model that changes the world comes from countless trials and errors. It is the same with administrative reform and we should keep that in mind,” and promised, “I will firmly support you in that.”

The president presented government reform as next year’s catch-phrase, saying, “While our image next year to outsiders should be as an active and lively ‘Dynamic Korea,’ our inside keyword should be a reform, especially government reform.”

On the other hand, he emphasized “a competent government that has a dialogue with the people,” citing examples of a separation between medical science and pharmacy and a national pension, saying, “Although people need them, if people do not feel comfortable, such policies cannot win public confidence as long as they are seen as failures.”

The same day, president Roh conferred presidential letters of commendation on ten men for reform accomplishments, including Deputy Commissioner Han Young-seop of the Business Reform Division in the Fair Trade Commission.

Young-Hae Choi yhchoi65@donga.com