Few Adjustments Made to Pres. Lee`s `100 Nat`l Agendas`

President Lee Myung-bak in a Cabinet meeting yesterday made a few adjustments to his five national goals, 20 national strategies and 100 national agenda items.

He largely retained the basic framework of the five national goals, 21 national strategies and 193 national agendas created by the presidential transition committee. Newly added were policy items, including those unveiled in President Lee’s Liberation Day address Aug. 15 and his televised forum with the people, and a few were eliminated.

The cross-country grand canal project that President Lee said he would drop if the public opposed was removed while a redrawing of national administrative districts and promotion of green growth were inserted. The description of national agenda items was also written in an easier-to-understand format.

The government selected 100 agenda items under 20 national strategies, and classified the strategies under the five national goals: a government serving the people; forming a vibrant market economy; ensuring proactive welfare; creating a country with abundant human resources; and becoming a mature and world-leading country.

Placed under the goal of a government serving the people is observing rule of law, rooting out government corruption, and guaranteeing clean water and air and safe food. The emphasis on rule of law could be the government’s attempt to prevent illegal acts as seen in anti-U.S. beef protests earlier this year.

Under the vibrant economy goal is deregulation for win-win development in both the Seoul metropolitan and provincial areas, fostering new industries to cope with climate change, and steering the country more toward openness. The win-win development implies deregulation in the Seoul metropolitan area to a reasonable degree and the country’s recreation reflects the “five plus two” plan of dividing the country into five major and two special blocs.

Housing assistance and guaranteeing a secure life after retirement are included in the goal of proactive welfare. Consistent efforts to make North Korea abandon nuclear weapons and the creation of a world-class national brand are classified under the goal of making the country a mature world leader.

A key government source said, “To achieve the national agendas, the Office of Prime Minister will check progress of each ministry every quarter and propose it at the national agenda review meeting. The president will hold a national agenda report meeting at least once a year.”

ddr@donga.com