Pres. Lee to Talk to Biz Complex Reps Next Month

President Lee Myung-bak will hold a meeting next month with representatives from companies at industrial complexes.

The Knowledge Economy Ministry and industry sources said Sunday that representatives of business councils from 30 industrial complexes will present their difficulties to the president in the meeting. President Lee will also explain government measures to improve the business environment, such as making the structure of industrial complexes more sophisticated.

“The presidential office is highly interested in industrial complexes because small and medium-size businesses are concentrated there,” a ministry source said. “Since a meeting with business councils of industrial complexes is scheduled for October, we want to organize the meeting by inviting the president.”

President Lee held a meeting with representatives of small and medium-size businesses Wednesday. He is scheduled to attend a breakfast Monday with CEOs of large companies, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee.

Analysts say the government might use next month’s meeting to kick-start the restructuring of older industrial complexes. Seoul is pursuing a policy of turning older complexes into newer and cutting-edge facilities.

Earlier this month, the names of major industrial complexes were changed to “brand” them and improve their design.

The ministry is also considering conducting a study to ease strict employment conditions for foreign workers, which pose a nagging problem for companies in industrial complexes.

imsun@donga.com