Blue House Web Site Prepares A Gift for Five-Millionth Visitor

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Blue House Web Site Prepares A Gift for Five-Millionth Visitor

Launched three years ago, the Blue House Web site (www.cwd.go.kr) has grown into a public forum for people to voice their criticisms of the government, as well as a place for policymakers to get a sense of public sentiment.

The Web site, created when the Kim Dae-jung administration took office in early 1998, is about to receive its five millionth visitor sometime this week, a presidential aide said.

As of 4 p.m. Sunday, 4,943,430 visitors have logged onto the site.

"There seems to be an expectation on the part of the public that they can directly access the president through the Internet homepage," the aide said.

Especially, in the wake of the Hanvit Bank loan scandal and the kickback scandal involving an erstwhile venture company, the bulletin board on the Web site has been inundated with irate messages.

"How can the Financial Supervisory Service collude with a corrupt company...The president should remind himself of his early aspirations," one citizen wrote regarding the scandal.

"Is ripping off citizens the goal of the government's plan to foster the venture industry," wrote another angry Web user.

Another citizen advised the president to focus on resuscitating the economy if he wants his legacy to remain etched on the pages of history.

These are among an estimated 13,000 people who visit the site daily, either to get information or to use the bulletin board. Between 300 and 400 people write to President Kim Dae-jung's e-mail address (president@cwd.go.kr), aides said.

With the huge number of visitors, the presidential office is fighting to ensure that the quality of this unique public forum is maintained, the aide said.

The presidential office plans to give a special watch to the five millionth person to visit the Web site.




by Kim Jung-ha

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