Presidential panel on social unity begins work

SEOUL, Jan. 18 (Yonhap) -- A new presidential panel on easing the nation's social
rifts convened its inaugural session Monday to lay out a master plan for this
year, the agency said.

South Korea launched the Presidential Committee on Social Cohesion late last
year, tasking the panel with helping the government come up with ways to cope
with political and ideological differences that have grown amid repeated threats
from communist North Korea and partisan wrangling over a series of government
initiatives.
A widening divide between the country's rich and poor, chronic regionalism and
generational differences are also cited as issues to be addressed.
The 48-member committee is led by former South Korean Prime Minister Goh Kun,
known for his long experience in government during which time he gained a
reputation for his pragmatism, morality and anti-corruption efforts.
"South Korea achieved industrialization and democratization during a short
period, but as it stands on the threshold of becoming an advanced nation it is
suffering from great challenges brought about by globalization," Goh wrote in the
state-funded weekly magazine "Gonggam," or Sympathy. "Social unity is a
precondition for South Korea to become an advanced country."
The committee said Monday's meeting was focused on mapping out priorities for
this year. Among selected items are a campaign for joint projects between
conservative and liberal forces and a push for a new election system that can
help tackle persistent regionalism.
It added that efforts would be made to help foreign residents and North Korean
defectors better adapt to life here.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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