Parties at odds over president's policy goal announcement

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) -- Rival parties on Monday offered conflicting assessments
of President Lee Myung-bak's 2010 policy agendas announced earlier in the day,
with opposition parties arguing that the announced visions lack concreteness.
In a nationally televised conference, the president announced his policy goals
for this year centered around job creation, enhancement of the country's
diplomacy and improving relations with North Korea.
The ruling Grand National Party's spokeswoman, Cho Yoon-sun, said in a statement
that Lee's speech was a call to the nation that "carried warmth and an air of
sincerity" for Korea's future.
Lee's vision also provided hope for South Korea to raise its "national status" in
the world through his goal of boosting Seoul's "global diplomacy."
However, the main opposition Democratic Party's spokesman Woo Sang-ho slammed
Lee's overall conference for a "lack of concrete measures" to improve the
people's livelihoods.
The speech "lacks concreteness in measures aimed at improving the people's
livelihood," Woo said, saying that the policy goals were merely lists of the
government's ongoing administrative projects.
The minor opposition Liberty Forward Party also issued a statement, also
describing it as a "list of words that can't be fulfilled" that lack specific
measures.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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