Hope Forum Wants a Public-Focused Korea

The Hope Forum’s “hope suggestion” for 2006 is “Let’s make a country that focuses on the public.”

At a press conference in the international conference room on the 20th floor of the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul yesterday, the Hope Forum announced its position that “in a bid to resolve the crisis the country faces, such as the growing gap between the rich and poor and the shortage of jobs, the country should focus on the public, achieve continuous growth and create new jobs by revamping Korea’s economy’s basic framework.”

It urged the government to probe into corruption scandals, including the X-File scandal, thoroughly, and insisted on large corporations’ transparent management, saying, “The country should build trust by establishing legalism.”

They continued on to say, “The government should resolve key social issues, including youth unemployment, by helping small- and medium-sized enterprises and actively pushing ahead with polices to create jobs.”

A total of about 50 eminent figures from various circles, including former prime minister Kang Young-hoon, Beautiful Fund chief director Park Sang-jeung, Women Fund chief director Park Young-sook and Green Fund permanent director Choi Yeol attended the meeting.

When a total of 180 senior figures from various circles and civil society heads announced the “2005 Hope Suggestion” for creating jobs and building new communities last January 6, the Hope Forum was launched.

weappon@donga.com