Roh Administration Concentrates on Four Agendas

In regard to the direction of future political policies, Cheong Wa Dae Chief of Staff Kim Woo-sik said yesterday, “I am assured that Korea will be transformed into a transparent society and that its corruption will be rooted out under the leadership of the current government.”

To celebrate the half-year anniversary of his inauguration, Kim held a luncheon meeting at a restaurant located in downtown Seoul at the invitation of Cheong Wa Dae correspondents. There, Kim projected such a view by saying, “I recommended to president three months ago that since we have as many as 12 committees for political policies and a whopping 105 agendas are included on the government’s road map, tasks to cover these projects are out of control.” He continued, “Thus, we would be better off narrowing down the focus of government policy into three scopes: constructing a transparent and corruption-free society, balancing national development, and developing the nation into the hub of northeast Asia.”

Kim also underlined, “Because President Roh added one more agenda, “governmental renovation,” into these three I have mentioned, a total of four presidential agendas are in place,” adding, “Within two years from now, I believe we can lay the ground for the governmental renovation too.”

“I said to president that I hope these initiatives will play a role and become the trademark of the participatory government when future generations evaluate us,” he said, adding, “I don’t want to produce any results immediately while I am in office. Rather, I want to pave a couple of ways for future development,” said Kim.

Regarding the recent controversy over national identities, Kim downplayed it by indirectly saying, “I had lunch together with members of the Korean Veterans Association and the president of the Korea Retired Generals and Admirals Association where I asked them to refrain from addressing ideological issues and reassured them that there is nothing to worry about.”

Kim also said, “I check the approval rating of the president and of his cabinet every day. I don’t think that the rate goes up and down overnight,” adding, “I had lunch together with one or two ministers in recent days where I often asked them how to improve the rating. This is my hidden intention to spur them to roll up their sleeve to strike out against current difficulties. I think the role of president is to solve entangled problems and control them at a distance.”

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com