Construction Industry Promotion
P.M. Lee stress technological advancement and competitiveness
during  Construction Day

Construction Day was celebrated with 117 people being awarded with merits, medals and citations in recognition of their commendable contribution to the development of the construction industry.
Among the 1,000 participants of the award ceremony marking Construction Day held on June 17 at Construction Hall in Nonhyun-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, were Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, Chu Byung-jik, minister of construction and transportation, and Kwon Hong-sa, chairman of KFCIS, Lee Ji-song, CEO-president of Hyundai Engineering and Construction (HDEC), Lee Sang-dae, CEO-president of Samsung E&C, and Lee Yong-koo, CEO-president of Daelim Industrial Company.
The Merit of Industrial Order, Gold Tower, went to Cho Nam-won, CEO-president of Sambu Construction Co. and Chung Seung-il, CEO-president of Seil ENS in recognition of their contribution to the construction industry during an award ceremony marking the 2005 anniversary of Construction Day. They were two were among the nine presented with merits of industrial order.
Ahn Seung-kyu, managing director at Hyundai Engineering & Construction (HDEC), and Yeo Dong-jin, executive director of HDEC, and two others received the industrial medal from the government.
Lee Dong-ryol, manager of Samsung Engineering & Construction, Kim Ki-moon, managing director of Daewoo E&C, and six others were awarded with the presidential citation, Park Tae-jo, CEO-president of Ducksan Construction Industrial, and six others were presented with the prime minister's citation.
Lee Hyung-keun and Nam Sun-jung, both managing directors of HDEC, Yoon Do-hyuck, executive director of Hyundai Heavy Industries, Kim Tae-kyu, managing director of Daelim Industrial Company, Kim Soo-bong, general manager of Daewoo E&C, Kang Young-il, general manager of Samsung E&C, Song Yong-kun, managing director of SK E&C, Kwon Sun-hak, manager of Lotte E&C, and Kim Ki-soo, general manager of Daewoo E&C and 78 others received the construction and transportation minister's citation.
In his congratulatory speech, Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan called for the construction sector to promote technological advancement and enhance a competitive edge to become global leaders as well as ensure safe, eco-friendly construction.
Prime Minister Lee said, ?tate-initiated balanced national development projects, including the construction of a new administrative town, will serve as the domestic construction industry to gain a new momentum. These steps that were designed to boost the industry will be long-lived and not bring about side-effects because they are not aimed at pump-priming the industry." The government will do its best in ensuring that market forces dominate the construction industry in a normal, efficient and fair fashion. It will make efforts to maintain precise principles and flexibility, while revamping unnecessary regulations while eradicating unjust practices. The prime minister warned that speculators who underestimate the government's determination to curb speculation would be dealt a blow, saying that it will not make the construction industry sway by unproductive and inefficient speculation.
Lee said he understood that the construction industry accounts for 19 percent of Korea's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and eight out of every 100 workers are engaged in the industry, directly or indirectly. The government knew that construction industry, which has contributed to the development of the economy, has been in doldrums for the past few years, particularly among smaller companies and firms based in areas other than the Seoul Metropolitan area, Prime Minister Lee said. However, abnormal pump priming of the industry will not bring benefits to the whole of the domestic industry and the construction sector itself. nw

An anniversary ceremony for Construction Day is being held in Seoul
on June 17.