South Korea's Lee seeks to put turmoil behind
By Jack Kim
SEOUL, Aug 15 (Reuters) - President Lee Myung-bak, stung by months of protest against his brief rule, marked South Korea's 60th anniversary on Friday with a call for a fresh start and a warning to demonstrators who have hobbled his plans for change.
The pro-business Lee, who came to office in February with the largest margin of victory in a presidential election, has seen his support plummet below 20 percent as he fumbled key personnel appointments and was accused of mishandling a deal to resume imports of U.S. beef.
What began as candle-lit rallies voicing concerns about importing mad cow disease from the United States -- the reason the import ban was imposed five years earlier -- quickly turned into a lighting rod for criticism of the ex-CEO's perceived arrogance in trying to push through his pro-business reforms.
"If the last six decades since the nation's founding have been spent achieving fundamental freedoms, the next 60 years should be dedicated to realising freedom with responsibility," Lee said in a speech marking Liberation Day on Friday.
"The rule of law must be firmly established," he said. "I will show with action that there would be no tolerance for violation of the law regardless of who you are, including myself."
Lee's government has warned that the repeated, and at times violent, street rallies are scaring away foreign investors.
Some analysts say the anti-government protests could hurt the long-term prospects of Asia's fourth largest economy just as it is trying to shift the emphasis of economic growth away from heavy reliance on manufacturing where it faces losing competitiveness to its giant neighbour China.
"Consider it Lee's second inauguration speech," an aide to Lee was quoted as saying by the JoongAng Daily newspaper.
In a move signalling his intent to press ahead with economic reform, the government this week announced a sweeping plan to privatise state-owned assets.
But it was immediately met with criticism even within Lee's own conservative party for not going far enough.
A number of analysts said what should have been a key element of his policy agenda was far from thought through because the administration had been preoccupied with trying to shore up its falling popularity.
In the speech, Lee outlined his vision to move away from fossil-fuel-based economy and adopt a "low-carbon, green growth" policy that focuses on alternative energy and promote research and development of hybrid cars.
"Even if oil prices were to drop in the future, now is the time for us to bid farewell to the era of excessive dependence on oil," he said, adding he wants to make the world's tenth largest energy consumer and fifth largest crude importer at least 50 percent energy self-sufficient by year 2050.
The country last month announced it would spend $193 million this year on developing alternative energy, a 60 percent jump.
He called on communist North Korea to open up to dialogue and abandon its nuclear programme, saying he and U.S. President George W. Bush had agreed to welcome the impoverished state into the global financial community and help it stand on its feet. (Editing by Jonathan Thatcher and Sanjeev Miglani)
SEOUL, Aug 15 (Reuters) - President Lee Myung-bak, stung by months of protest against his brief rule, marked South Korea's 60th anniversary on Friday with a call for a fresh start and a warning to demonstrators who have hobbled his plans for change.
The pro-business Lee, who came to office in February with the largest margin of victory in a presidential election, has seen his support plummet below 20 percent as he fumbled key personnel appointments and was accused of mishandling a deal to resume imports of U.S. beef.
What began as candle-lit rallies voicing concerns about importing mad cow disease from the United States -- the reason the import ban was imposed five years earlier -- quickly turned into a lighting rod for criticism of the ex-CEO's perceived arrogance in trying to push through his pro-business reforms.
"If the last six decades since the nation's founding have been spent achieving fundamental freedoms, the next 60 years should be dedicated to realising freedom with responsibility," Lee said in a speech marking Liberation Day on Friday.
"The rule of law must be firmly established," he said. "I will show with action that there would be no tolerance for violation of the law regardless of who you are, including myself."
Lee's government has warned that the repeated, and at times violent, street rallies are scaring away foreign investors.
Some analysts say the anti-government protests could hurt the long-term prospects of Asia's fourth largest economy just as it is trying to shift the emphasis of economic growth away from heavy reliance on manufacturing where it faces losing competitiveness to its giant neighbour China.
"Consider it Lee's second inauguration speech," an aide to Lee was quoted as saying by the JoongAng Daily newspaper.
In a move signalling his intent to press ahead with economic reform, the government this week announced a sweeping plan to privatise state-owned assets.
But it was immediately met with criticism even within Lee's own conservative party for not going far enough.
A number of analysts said what should have been a key element of his policy agenda was far from thought through because the administration had been preoccupied with trying to shore up its falling popularity.
In the speech, Lee outlined his vision to move away from fossil-fuel-based economy and adopt a "low-carbon, green growth" policy that focuses on alternative energy and promote research and development of hybrid cars.
"Even if oil prices were to drop in the future, now is the time for us to bid farewell to the era of excessive dependence on oil," he said, adding he wants to make the world's tenth largest energy consumer and fifth largest crude importer at least 50 percent energy self-sufficient by year 2050.
The country last month announced it would spend $193 million this year on developing alternative energy, a 60 percent jump.
He called on communist North Korea to open up to dialogue and abandon its nuclear programme, saying he and U.S. President George W. Bush had agreed to welcome the impoverished state into the global financial community and help it stand on its feet. (Editing by Jonathan Thatcher and Sanjeev Miglani)
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