Full of Challenges That Can Be Overcome

Construction people calls for need to unite to overpower crises developing new products and technologies

The Federation of Construction Associations held a New Year's ceremony at Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Jan. 6 with over 1,000 people attending including legislators led by Reps. Lee Sang-jong, chairman of the National Construction Policy Committee, Kim Hi-chol, and Kim Seong-tae, government officials led by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, Minister Kwon Do-youp of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, industry leaders and related organizations.
Prime Minister Kim in his congratulatory speech at the gathering said the construction industry, a big brother among the industries in the country, is hoped to open up a break through route for our economy this year, too, promising that the government too will spare no efforts in supporting the industry to become the 5th largest in the world and secure $70 billion in overseas projects.
The government, he said, will build 450,000 homes this year and expand green transportation systems led by the railroads under its policies to expand social overhead capital investment and reform various regulations on land and transportation sectors by 30 percent.
Chairman Choi Kyu-sam of the Federation of Construction Associations said this year, construction people will develop new construction products and technology as a core power for the economy. They will this year, the year of dragon, which comes around in sixty years of cycle, believe that the years of their hardship will be over soon and will start the new year just as a black dragon takes off on its first flight into the air with powerful strokes.
In order for the construction industry continue to be a nucleus industry of the country, we ought to bring changes and reform steadily to cope with diverse demands of consumers by developing new construction products and technologies as a growth engine.
The crisis we are faced with now is just like the ones we faced and overcame in the past 60 years on numerous occasions, he said. nw

Chmn. Choi Kyu-sam of the Federation of Construction Associations.

Leaders of the construction industry including Chmn. Choi Kyu-sam of the Federation of Construction Associations, and Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, MLTM Minister Kwon Do-youp, Rep. Kim Hi-chol, and Rep. Kim Seong-tae are seen welcoming the New Year at a reception held on Jan. 6 at Lotte Hotel in Seoul.