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Lee maps out a vision for ‘greatness’

Published: 29 Sep. 2009, 07:55

“A bigger, greater Korea” will be the Lee Myung-bak administration’s vision for next year, government officials said yesterday, noting that a series of opportunities to realize the goal, including the nation’s hosting of the Group of 20 summit, will take place next year.

According to a key Blue House official, the slogan for the year 2010 will be “a bigger, greater Korea.” The vision was first made public when Lee gave an address before the nation on Aug. 15, Liberation Day.

“What we envision is a country that makes happiness an achievable reality for everyone. What we envision is a society that has at its foundation ethics, values and consideration for others,” Lee has said. “We do not just aim for a society that is abundant in materialistic terms.

“We aim for one that is mature enough to look beyond that. Being divided amongst ourselves makes us smaller, while coming together makes us greater. If we cannot overcome the divisions and conflict among ourselves, we will not be able to move forward,” Lee said. “Only when we take our neighbor’s hand with an open heart can we see a bigger, greater Korea.”

According to the Lee aide, the president expressed his disappointment to other Blue House officials when the media highlighted other aspects of his address such as a move to reform the election system.

But the latest decision by the Group of 20 leaders to meet in Korea in November next year for a financial summit sheds new light on Lee’s vision for a greater Korea, the official said.

“In 2008, Lee declared that the year will serve as the origin of Korea’s true advancement. To this end, Lee pushed forward a ‘low-carbon, green growth’ policy and concentrated on upholding law and order,” the official said. “Throughout this year, the president focused on economic recovery and social unity, And next year, the vision will be a bigger, greater Korea.”

In addition to hosting the G-20 summit next year, other efforts were also made to heighten Korea’s position in the global community, the aide said. “The vision seeks to expand Korea’s scope of economic activities by forming free trade agreements with major economies and leading the formation of global agendas,” he said.

Korea’s efforts to initiate and house a global water management organization is also a part of the plan, officials said.

In his keynote speech to the United Nations General Assembly last week, Lee noted the seriousness of the water crisis, urging the international community to establish a new governance system.

Lee explained his vision at a lunch yesterday for the heads of the National Assembly, the Supreme Court, Constitutional Court, the National Election Commission and his prime minister.

“The institutionalization of the G-20 shows that the world is now entering a new era, moving beyond the G-8-led system,” the president was quoted as saying by his spokesman, Park Sun-kyoo.

The Blue House officials have said the vision of “low-carbon, green growth” has played a significant role in improving Korea’s position in the international community. In July last year, Lee said Korea will be an early mover to fight climate change when he attended the Group of Eight summit in Japan.

By Seo Seung-wook, Ser Myo-ja [[email protected]]