(G-20) (LEAD) Lee reiterates call against premature exit plans

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By Byun Duk-kun
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, Sept. 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak, joining world leaders Friday in a forum tackling the global economic
crisis, reiterated warnings against premature exit plans, his office said.

"Each country should have exit strategies ready, but such strategies must be
implemented with close international coordination and agreed principles," Lee was
quoted as saying.
"I believe it would be best, as a common principle, to draw up the exit plans
centered on the International Monetary Fund."
Lee was addressing the G-20 economic summit that met here for the third time.
South Korea was named host for the November session of the conference, launched
last year to coordinate efforts between developed and developing nations to
overcome the global financial crisis.
The South Korean president said it was too early to withdraw stimulus measures,
with private investment and domestic consumption still weak, according to his
office Cheong Wa Dae.
"People say the economy is recovering, but there has yet to be the creation of
jobs," he was quoted as saying.
He urged the international community to shun protectionism, which "will be
politically all the more attractive" at times like these.
Lee also emphasized the G-20 must continue to exercise leadership even after the
global crisis comes to an end, saying the world could face more serious
post-crisis problems, Cheong Wa Dae said.
One of the potentially damaging issues is global imbalance, vividly seen in the
over- and under-representation of advanced and newly emerging economies at
international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the World Bank, Lee was quoted as saying.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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