Roh Promises to Curb Housing Prices

“Let us open an era of $20,000 per-capita gross national income and energetically enter the threshold of advanced country status in the New Year,” President Roh Moo-hyun said in his New Year’s message. “Let us have confidence in ourselves and aim for a brighter future.”

“It is difficult for anyone to predict if it will be a calm and peaceful year. But I think we are the people of ability who can overcome various obstacles and crises,” President Roh said. “I promise to make utmost efforts to make sure the people’s livelihood improved much better.”

“In regard to real estate issues, the government made a mistake. It is now working on complementary measures,” Roh added. “I pledge once again. I will curb (real estate prices.). And this will happen.”

“Ordinary people have been suffering from problems like socioeconomic polarization, growth without employment, real estate prices, and (crisis in) education. And they face problems like low birth rate and rapidly aging population in the future,” Roh said. “The situation will be gradually improved once (the government) supports small and medium-sized enterprises to create new jobs, promote the service industry and launch the Vision 2030 project.”

“Although the problems in education are still difficult and unstable, the situation is quickly getting better,” President Roh said.

“The government is also concerned and preparing countermeasures,” Roh added in regard to the unstable foreign exchange rates.

The government will hold a New Year’s meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. Over 300 senior officials will participate in the gathering, including Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, Cabinet members, the chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection and chairman of the National Election Commission. Politicians from both ruling and opposition parties, such as Uri Chairman Kim Geun-tae and Grand National Party Chairman Kang Jae-sup, have been also invited.

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