President Lee calls for stepped up efforts to reform

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Oct. 18 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said he will do whatever is
necessary to reform and improve the country even if that means a drop in his
approval rating, saying consistency is more important than a high approval
rating, a spokesman for the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Sunday.

"There are some people saying that we must be more careful now that our approval
rating is going up, but there is no need for us to be too cautious. What is
important is for us to be consistent whether the approval rate is up or down,"
the president was quoted as saying at a workshop with his ministers and vice
ministers held Saturday.
"That is the only way we can build the basis for our nation to become an advanced
country," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Sun-kyoo quoted the president as saying.
Lee's approval rate recently shot to a record high of over 50 percent after
dipping as low as 20 percent after his inauguration amid a series of violent
street rallies against his decision to lift a ban on U.S. beef imports last year.
It was not confirmed whether the president mentioned any particular government
projects or issues that could undermine his approval rate, but the government has
recently come under severe criticism from the opposition for trying to alter a
multi-billion-dollar plan to build an administrative town in the central region
of Chungcheong province.
The new town, Sejong, was earlier expected to house up to nine government
ministries and several other state agencies when completed in 2012.
Cheong Wa Dae officials have said nothing has been decided on the plan but that a
change, possibly a significant downsizing of the plan, was imperative.
"There must not be a compromise when it comes to a policy that will decide the
fate of the country. Even if a policy will not be helpful to the administration
or cause us trouble based on misunderstanding, we must pursue that policy if it
will help our nation," President Lee told Saturday's meeting.
Lee also called on his ministers and officials to show affection and modesty
toward the public.
"We, officials, are only entrusted with power and authority for the sake of
smooth government operation. The more power we have, the more we have to be
careful and modest," he said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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