President calls for increased efforts to improve public welfare

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak called Tuesday for more government efforts to improve the livelihood of ordinary citizens who are the first to suffer from an economic crisis but the last to benefit from a recovery.

Lee had carried out a major shakeup of his presidential office on Monday,
replacing five of his eight top secretaries to strengthen what his aides said was
a "people-friendly" policy.
"Now is when we must really work hard. There are hopes for an economic recovery,
but we must place our top priority on improving public welfare because the
citizens are the first to suffer," the president said in a ceremony appointing
his new secretaries.
Lee also called for complete measures to prevent the spread of the new flu,
noting reports of a possible pandemic during the cold season.
Three South Koreans have died after contracting Type-A influenza while over 3,300
have been diagnosed with the disease.
About 1,000 people still remain under treatment.