President vows aggressive investment for post-crisis growth

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Friday the government will
continue to invest aggressively in research and development (R&D) to bring the
country to par with other advanced nations as soon as the ongoing economic crisis
is over.

The remarks echo his earlier calls to prepare for the opportunities that will
follow the global economic slowdown, and yet set an ambitious goal for the
country whose economy is expected to contract by over 4 percent this year alone.
"We must do more, not only to overcome the crisis at hand, but also to overcome a
new world order and new international conditions in the long run," the president
said while meeting with some 130 members of the National Academy of Sciences, an
organization that aims to promote academic and scientific researches.
Lee said the government allocated 12 trillion won (US$8.68 billion) for R&D this
year despite the worldwide economic slump and will continue to invest more in
technologies that will take the country to the next level.
"Many people talk about finding an opportunity amid a crisis, but we must make
strenuous efforts to create such an opportunity. The government will work
tirelessly to address urgent issues but will also not rest in order to create
such an opportunity after the crisis is over," he said.
Such government efforts alone, however, may not be enough to take the country to
the next level, the president said, adding South Korea remains in the lowest
bracket in some areas.
"An advanced, first-class nation is not made solely by economic growth. A country
becomes a true first-class nation only when it is developed to that level in all
aspects and is respected by the international community," said Lee.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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