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In a statement to the nation made Saturday morning apologizing for the first ever-presidential impeachment under Korea¡¯s constitutional system, President Roh Moo-hyun said ¡°The illegal presidential campaign funds and the mistakes made by people around me were my fault... From this spot, I once again extend my deepest apologies.¡±
Roh said, ¡°I believe the newly composed 17th National Assembly will take the lead in political reform, and I will stably manage national affairs so that political reform can be pushed in an orderly way upon a stable base and will especially concentrate on the compromise and the politics of co-existence.¡±
Related to the economic issues, Roh said ¡°The economy is facing difficulties and small and middle sized companies, small-scale merchants and irregular workers are having an especially difficult time,¡± and announced that he will plan countermeasures.
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President Roh Moo-hyun issues a statement to the nation in a live broadcast at Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday.
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However, Roh said, ¡°The government judges that what we have now is not a serious crisis that we cannot handle,¡± and added that ¡°It is not desirable to form anxiety by expanding negative prospects or enlarging the crisis as a measure to fulfill policies that are advantageous to oneself.¡± Roh said that ¡°Among the worries [about the economy], there seems to be intentioned voices [that are not pure].¡±
Roh also said, ¡°The immediate economic issues must not cover everything and the more difficult the situation gets, one must stick to principles. The wrong systems should be revised and the things that are not based on principles must be straightened.¡± Moreover, the President said, ¡°Our economy should developed into a innovation-driven economy... The public sectors and markets should all be reformed. and the irrationality in political administration should be regulated as well.¡±
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President Roh Moo-hyun shakes hands with his cabinet ministers after issuing a live broadcasted statement at the Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday./Yonhap
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Grand National Party (GNP) chairwoman Park Geun-hye commented ¡°We will trust his words that promise politics of co-existence and efforts to save the economy. Since the president said he would concede and respect the opposition party we will cooperate so that the politics can go towards a direction that the whole nation wishes.¡±
GNP spokeswoman Jun Yeo-ok commented ¡°The Grand National Party will actively cooperate with the president if it is for the benefit of the country and the nation, but it is regretful that the president overlooked the economic situation as it is more serious than he thinks and the suffering of the common people is indescribable.¡±
(Shin Jung-rok, jrshin@chosun.com )
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