Lee calls for strategy to overcome economic crisis by next year

SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak called Saturday for concerted efforts to overcome the economic crisis, warning that people would not trust his government unless tangible results are produced before too long, his spokesman said.

"We should show the bud of hope to the people no later than next year," Lee told
a meeting of Cabinet ministers and senior presidential aides, according to
presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan.
"The people will tolerate this year, but they will not trust us even if we talk
about hope, unless the economy improves even next year," the spokesman quoted the
president as saying.
The president called for all officials to have a sense of urgency to cope with
the unprecedented economic turmoil, saying "All responsibilities are upon us,"
according to the spokesman.
The president pointed out a host of obstacles and thorny roads lie ahead for
South Korea, the spokesman said.
Asia's fourth largest export-dependent economy is expected to suffer the first
recession in more than a decade. In its latest forecast earlier this week,
Moody's Investors Service said the South Korean economy would shrink 2 percent
this year.
"Despite the emergency economic situation, there is no sense of urgency and
change of perception yet," the president said of what he felt was the lax
attitude of government officials, according to the spokesman. "Show me an
attitude to be responsible for results."
The president, formerly a construction company CEO, also instructed the officials
to use budgets effectively, the spokesman said.
lcd@yna.co.kr
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