By Kang Hyun-kyung Staff Reporter President-elect Lee Myung-bak said he would stand firm on overhauling English education, although there is some criticism of the plan. Lee also said he would assess Cabinet members and Cheong Wa Dae secretaries every six months. At a two-day workshop of his aides in Seoul Saturday, Lee stressed that a short-sighted, vested interest-oriented view should not hold back the long-term national goal of English-friendly Korea. He made the remark as criticism mounts over his overzealous plan for the wider use of English, which he believes is key to sharpening competitiveness of Korea and Koreans. Lee said that government officials sometimes need to be tough to push through their ideas if needed. Prime Minister-nominee Han Seung-soo and presidential transition team members participated in the workshop, which ended Sunday. They discussed the directions and strategies of the new government. The participants shared the need to upgrade Korea-China relations, saying that too much emphasis on Korea-U.S. alliance has given the impression of alienating Beijing, according to Lee Dong-kwan, spokesman for the transition committee. He said the new administration will spend 10 percent of the saved budget to revive the domestic economy, and get tough on corruption and focus on attracting foreign investment and creating jobs, the spokesman said. President-elect Lee said, ``It happens (in public affairs) that the people do not support a particular policy especially when issues are complex. Yet, government officials should not be discouraged by that.'' ``Criticism or different views should not hold back the new government initiative to implement a critical policy,'' he said. The President-elect said a policy or national strategy, which will lead the nation to a better future, might not be popular among the public at the moment. ``However, the government should go ahead anyway as long as it is thought to be the right thing to do,'' he stressed. As for his plan to monitor government offices, he said the appraisal could be made once or twice a year. Lee stressed government officials need to be self-motivated and be prepared to take responsibility for what they have done. ``Cabinet ministers tend to stick to their turf, while tending not to share information with people outside their division. In a digital era, information sharing among government is a must do,'' he said. Along with putting the monitoring system in place, the new President asked government employees to work on action plans having the detailed roadmap and directions. Lee, however, refrained from attacking the pro-government United New Democratic Party (UNDP) for its foot dragging on his government downsizing plan. The transition team's plan said the current 18 government ministries will be downsized to 13 once it gets the approval from the National Assembly. Pro-government party leader Sohn Hak-kyu made clear his opposition to the proposed plan, saying he would save the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries along with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The transition team's proposal said these two ministries would be abolished. As the UNDP has not shown any sign of supporting the reorganization plan, the new government may inaugurate without Cabinet ministers. Lee said complaining is not an answer. ``Frustration would not make a difference. Our Grand National Party (GNP) needs to manage the situation wisely because the people know what is happening and will cast their ballot for the party they think right,'' he said. hkang@koreatimes.co.kr