Lee instructs Cabinet to reduce adverse effects of college restructuring

SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak instructed the Cabinet on Tuesday to make sure that the government's college restructuring drive does not hurt the interests of existing students, his spokesman said.
Lee has called for restructuring uncompetitive colleges in response to public calls for lowering college tuitions. He believes that an equal provision of government money to all universities and colleges would result in keeping uncompetitive schools afloat.
Lee made the point during Monday's meeting with Sohn Hak-kyu, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, and the opposition leader agreed, officials said. During the talks, Lee and Sohn agreed in principle on the need for lowering tuitions but differed on specifics, officials said.
"We have to do a thorough check to ensure that existing students won't suffer disadvantages in the course of college restructuring," Lee told a Cabinet meeting, according to presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha.
Lee also told the meeting that the government should provide small and medium-sized firms with as much help as possible to address administrative and procedural difficulties they could face after the July 1 implementation of the free trade agreement with the European Union, the spokesman said.
jschang@yna.co.kr