S. Korean president urges aggressive corporate investment

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; UPDATES with remarks from President Lee, more details)
By Byun Duk-kun
JAKARTA, March 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Saturday
called on businesses to make "aggressive" investments and play a greater role in
overcoming the economic crisis, saying entrepreneurship tends to stand out
particularly in difficult times.
Lee made the remark during his breakfast meeting with South Korean business
representatives accompanying him on his three-nation trip that has also taken him
to New Zealand and Australia.
Lee arrived here Friday for a summit with his Indonesian counterpart Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, where the two leaders vowed to fight the global financial
crisis and what the South Korean president has called "growing protectionist
trends" in world trade.
"The world economy may slow down in the face of a crisis, but the relationship
between the two countries can be significantly advanced," Lee said Friday
following his summit with Yudhoyono.
In the meeting with Korean business leaders, Lee said Korean companies should
aggressively seek new areas for cooperation with Indonesia, New Zealand and
Australia. Seoul will soon start free trade agreement negotiations with the
latter two.
"I believe everyone is having difficulties because everyone suffers when times
are difficult, but I think that is why entrepreneurship becomes more important
under such difficult times," Lee said.
"The government will do its utmost to play its part ... in fields such as
securing energy resources and trade. So I ask our business leaders to do their
part to help overcome the crisis," he said, reconfirming his administration's
"business-friendly" policy.
The president again called for increased cooperation between South Korea and
Indonesia when meeting with South Korean and Indonesian business representatives
here for lunch, according to South Korean officials.
He will also call for increased exchanges and cooperation between the countries'
parliaments when meeting with the speaker of Indonesia's National Parliament
later in the day.
He will meet with South Korean residents of Indonesia before wrapping up his
three-day visit Sunday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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