S. Korean president urges aggressive corporate investment

(ATTN: UPDATES with reports of meeting between Lee and Indonesian parliamentary
speaker in paras 9-10)
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.
Later, Lee met with the speaker of Indonesia's National Parliament, Agung
Laksono, during which he repeated his call for joint efforts between Seoul and
Jakarta in fighting the global economic downturn and protectionist moves,
according to South Korean presidential aides.
"President Lee stressed the need to take proactive steps to prevent further
economic slowdown due to the financial crisis and called for Indonesia's
leadership in international efforts to stop the spread of protectionism in
trade," a presidential spokesman said of the Lee-Laksono meeting.
Lee was scheduled to meet a group of South Korean residents of Indonesia later in
the day before wrapping up his three-day visit here on Sunday.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)