2010 a ’Turning Point’ on Whether or Not Korea can Ascend to Advanced Country Status

Minster of Strategy and Finance Yoon Jeung-hyun said, “The Year 2010 will be a point of inflection in determining whether the Korean economy can evolve into that of an advanced country.”
In his New Year’s message, titled “The Republic of Korea Jumpstarts in 2010 After Overcoming the Crisis,” Minister Yoon remarked on Dec. 31, “How we respond will determine whether the nation is shaping up to have a competitive edge on the global stage following the economic crisis.”
He appealed for people to join forces and share their wisdom together in order to make Korea a stronger, richer nation during 2010.
Yoon said, “The economy is improving of late, but it is still early to say that even low-income people sense the feeling of the economic turnaround. First of all, it is important to create jobs, so to this end, we must make headway in advancing the valued-added service industry.”
He continued, “Look back on the year 2009. It was a year in which we were able to determine the weak points and strengths of our economy.” He said export and domestic demand weakened at a faster pace and growth plunged by a wider margin in the wake of the effects of the global economic crisis. And a variety of rumors over crises roiled the financial and foreign exchange markets with severe misgivings. As well, the real economy and the financial sector had structural problems: being too highly dependent on foreign countries, he said, the ministry was put into an emergency economic footing and implemented radical steps to cope with these woes.
’Making 2010 a year of hope for SMEs, low-income people’
The year 2009 was a year for the Korean people to demonstrate their hidden capabilities as the nation rose to a stellar 9th biggest exporter in the world despite the unprecedented global economic recession. Korea showed signs of recovering faster from the crisis than any other country and, in particular, the nation became one of the world’s nuclear power exporting countries by landing a $40 billion deal for the construction of nuclear power units from the United Arab Emirates, Minister of Knowledge Economy Choi Kyung-hwan said.
However, despite the brisk pace of recovery and confidence, those in the low-income bracket and SMEs still find themselves struggling with difficulties. We’ll devote ourselves to proliferating the momentum of the economic recovery to all walks of society by enhancing the nation’s growth momentum.
First of all, we’ll strive to ramp up our dynamic industries in order to log 5 percent GDP growth in 2010. The MKE will do its utmost to develop such new products as electric cars so that the nation’s mainstay industries, including automobile and semiconductor, can boost their standings as global leaders while also contributing to creating national wealth and jobs by nurturing such new exporting industries as nuclear power, aerospace and plant construction. We’re trying to secure a presence in the emerging markets among the G-20 countries while giving a helping hand to SMEs that want to advance overseas.
Focus on economic recovery and job creation
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) makes every endeavor to turn around the national economy and create jobs. MLTM Minister Chung Jong-hwan said in his New Year’s message, “The ministry has set its top five core tasks necessary to achieve the goal of making a solid economic recovery and evolving into a world-class nation with an edge: proactively creating jobs, laying a new territorial foundation by implementing the four river-restoration projects, protecting those in the low-income, middle-class bracket, materializing green growth schemes at the earliest possible date and raising the national standing by hosting the upcoming G-20 Summit.”
Chung promised to front-load budgets on social overhead capital as the ministry did last year, spending 15.2 trillion won, or 66 percent, of the SOC budget the government set aside and 29.1 trillion won, or 61 percent, of the combined budgets available for public enterprises in the first half of this year.
The ministry will aggressively provide support to such projects as the construction of privately-built housing and regional growth centers as well as the exploration of foreign construction and railway markets while concentrating on cultivating such added-value industries as marine energy and aviation technology in an effort to create as many jobs as possible.
Minister Chung said, “We’ll strive to put our heart and soul into completing 60 percent of the progress of the four-river restoration and Gyeongin Ara Waterway projects during this year and strengthen steps to protect those in the low and middle-income brackets.”
The ministry also decided to materialize low-carbon, green growth projects at the earliest possible date and enhance the nation’s standing in the wake of its upcoming hosting of the G-20 Summit.
Chung said, “Weak private investments and employment still exist as uncertainties for an economic recovery and now is the time to pick up the speed (of the economic recovery) and put into high gear efforts to brace for the future by accelerating job creation and low-carbon, green growth projects.”
Calls for Putting into Practice Green Life, Green Management
Minister of Environment Lee Maanee called for the people to live a green life every day and for companies to change their paradigm to a green management one.
“President Lee Myung-bak’s government is in its third year after declaring the low-carbon, green growth paradigm. The past two years was a period for establishing plans to materialize the vision and staging public campaigns to muster public support, but this year onward should be a time for putting green growth into practice in every field and presenting successful practices so that the people and companies can feel it. In this regard, the people are urged to live a green life every day and companies to shift their paradigm to a green management one.”
“With the world’s attention on us, the nation and society will have to yield tangible outcomes in changing their systems to a low-carbon one. In particular, this year is a badly needed time to raise the nation’s standing to that of advanced countries’ levels on the occasion of Korea’s hosting of the G-20 Summit slated for this November.”
Lee specified the priority tasks his ministry plans to implement during 2010. First, he said, the ministry will make flat-out efforts to make the four major rivers ones with clean water flowing and dynamic power overflowing, while dispelling misgivings over environmental problems surrounding the project from some sectors of society.
Second, the minister said, it will redouble efforts to take preemptive steps to effectively achieve mid and long-term targets of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
Third, he said, the government will devote itself to make “flawless” preparations for hosting the 2012 World Conservation Congress, dubbed the so-called 2012 Environment Olympic, to be held on Jeju Island.
Lastly, it will strive to raise the people’s satisfaction on its environment services, according to the minister. “Despite difficult conditions, we’ve made strenuous efforts to improve environmental indices by advancing environmental policies, upgrading services and expanding investments. As a result, for instance, Seoul’s dust concentration degree plunged from 61㎍/㎥ in 2007 to 53㎍/㎥ in 2009, equivalent to the levels of Washington, D.C., while the weather forecasting accuracy rate set at a record high of 91.9 percent, the world’s highest levels. The people’s satisfaction degrees still remain low, however.
First of all, the ministry plans to attach a priority to managing such materials as asbestos, radon and dust, considered harmful to human beings, and a health impact assessment system will be put in place from this year to block the use of materials hazardous to human bodies.
’2010, to be a Year of Light, Hope’
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon expressed his wish that the year 2010 will be a year of light and hope, one full of dreams for everyone, by joining forces with the vigor of the tiger during this Year of the Tiger.
In his speech in a ceremony to bid farewell to 2009, the Year of the Oxen, and usher in the Year of Tiger at the Boshingak in downtown Seoul on Jan. 1, Mayor Oh said, “We’ll do our best during 2010 when the global attention is focused on Seoul where the Visit Korea Year campaign and the G-20 Summit will be held.”
Concerning the tasks the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) will implement during 2010 in a New Year’s interview with the Yonhap News Agency, Oh said, “The keywords for the year 2010 can be defined as welfare, creation and future competitiveness. For the last two years, Seoul City has established its own welfare system. During the year 2010, I’ll strive to make sure that the welfare concept penetrates all segments of the SMG transcending strata. I’ll finish the job of making Seoul a good place to live by approaching housing, education, culture, environment and other sectors of the SMG’s administration under the welfare concept.”
In an effort to upgrade the SMG’s own welfare net, he said, the SMG will advance the SHift Program for supplying 50,000 long-term rental housing units for those in the low-income bracket from 2014 to 2013. Stressing that the SHift program is one of the top-class welfare items the SMG is implementing, the mayor said, more than 50,000 units should be supplied under the program so that the SHift Program can create a new paradigm shift. Oh said the SMG will introduce a system under which Seoulites can borrow and use “public bicycles” at cheaper prices regardless of place with a focus on parks along the Han River.
Looking back at the achievements he has made so far since taking office with the last year of his four-year tenure to remain, Oh said his municipal government has launched projects to create spaces where Seoulites can hang out and enjoy such areas of daily life as welfare, culture, environment, traffic and housing and each project has caused a whirlwind of tremendous changes. Oh noted that from now onward, the SMG is devoting itself to not just introducing new systems, but also to racking its brain about how to help Seoulites joyfully experience the new ones. Taking a look into the so-called Dream Forests of Northern Seoul, he said, his government has not just completed the scheme, but is also fleshing out such specifics as how art museums and concert halls are operated, saying that the SMG’s administration goals are to work until citizens feel happy after the concept “citizen customers” is introduced.
Asked about the reason for his reelection bid for mayor, Oh said he is seeking another term to complete his grandiose plan to make Seoul a creative city.
Busan Eyes World-Class Metropolis
Busan Mayor Hur Nam-sik said, “For Busan, the year 2010 will be a year of tremendous changes and opportunities for a quantum jump, as such mega-projects as the last portion of the Busan-Seoul high-speed railway, a road connecting Busan and Geoje and Busan subway line No. 4 are to be inaugurated and the project to build a National Marine Museum is to be launched.”
Mayor Hur urged the businessmen participating in a New Year’s gathering sponsored by the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Lotte Hotel in Busan on Jan. 4 to join hands in making Busan a world-class metropolis.
Asked about the tasks the Busan Metropolitan City government will implement during 2010, Mayor Hur said his municipal government will do its utmost to build up infrastructure as part of its efforts to make Busan a world-class city as shown in the roadmap for the development of Busan, dubbed “2020 Vision and Strategies.”
Designating 2010 the first year of a program for developing a future Busan, Hur said his government will translate into actions projects for building infrastructure for realizing its goals. In particular, he said, his city government seeks to attract a new airport in the southeastern sphere and launch the first phase of a projected international industry and logistics complex. The mayor said Gadeok Island is an optimal place for building the projected new airport in consideration of such benefits as the geographical location for around-the-clock operations, no hindrances to safe landings and take-offs as well as easy access and other economical strengths.
Mayor Hur said his government will also concentrate on such projects as North Port redevelopment, the Mt. Dongbu tourism complex and the financial center in Munhyeon-dong.
Sustainable Growth
Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo held a New Year’s ceremony to celebrate the start of the 2010 business year and a New Year’s gathering in which he unveiled the year’s business plans calling for sustainable growth.
In his New Year’s speech at the Incheon City Hall on Jan. 4, Incheon Mayor Ahn told the participants, “I’ll devote myself to realizing sustainable growth and transforming the metropolitan city into a future-industry metropolis.” He started his message with a focus on creating jobs and reinvigorating the regional economy. Ahn said he promised to provide systematic job information fitting each district and expand the fund for ensuring the guarantee of loans for nurturing indigenous SMEs with a competitive edge.
The mayor also stressed that it will work on the second phase of the Incheon Free Economic Zone project as part of its efforts to attract the nation’s new growth engines.
Providing Help for the Underprivileged
Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Moon-soo said in his New Year’s message, “As the economy gets worse, those in the vulnerable brackets, such as children, the elderly, the handicapped and the poor, suffer from bigger difficulties, so we’ll devote ourselves to revitalizing the economy and giving a helping hand to the underprivileged.” He urged his officials to serve provincial residents with a reawakened spirit and an officials’ pride.
In a related development, Gov. Kim also told a New Year’s gathering at the Northern Gyeonggi Chamber of Commerce and Industry building on Jan. 8 that the central government favors the projected Sejong City, the latest political hot potato, which has recently seen a change in its definition, originally supposed to be a site for government ministers.
Kim said the central government provides more benefits to the projected Sejong City, but insufficiently supports Gyeonggi Province, as is the case in not just Dongducheon, but also Yangju and Paju. Gov. Kim said, “If a police station is established and many facilities subject to the regulatory military preservation zones take off in Dongducheon, the dying complex there will be revitalized.” He added, “Unlicensed structures in the dying complex are fighting against the deadline under the starkest situation.” He stressed that central government officials should have recognized the sacrifices and pain being made by those who work faithfully and sincerely before the law.

’Laying the Foundation for Making Jeju a Happy Island’
Jeju Gov. Kim Tae-hwan said in his New Year’s message that the Jeju Special Self-governing Provincial Government will make flat-out efforts to build a foundation for making Jeju a happy island.
Gov. Kim said, “Jeju aims at attracting 6.7 million tourists, strives to build a foundation for transforming Jeju into an international environmental capital with seamless preparations for hosting the World Conservation Congress slated for 2012 and seeks to realize specific strategies for attracting investments, dubbed the “Triple Twenty,” including 20 companies, to be relocated onto the island.”
He urged his island residents to overcome the current difficulties the island faces so that it can make a leap to a higher, better foundation through the explanation and understanding of the weak points and strengths of all government policies.
Jeju has so far faced a series of fierce challenges and changes, but the end is still not in sight, and Jeju should raise the hope that residents feel and work towards the big hopes ― the desires for higher economic development, social integration and welfare.
Gov. Kim also told a New Year’s gathering at the Ramada Plaza Jeju Hotel on Jan. 4 that his government will do its utmost in ushering in a new era for Jeju for the integration of the islanders

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Minister of Strategy and Finance Yoon Jeung-hyun / Minister of Knowledge Economy Choi Kyung-hwan / Minister of Land, Transport and Marine Affairs Chung Jong-hwan / Minister of Environment Lee Maanee / Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon / Busan Mayor Hur Nam-sik / Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo / Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Moon-soo / Jeju Gov. Kim Tae-hwan