President Park Geun-hye unveiled plans centered on reviving the economy during her televised New Year's press conference held at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday morning.
Park used the word “economy” 42 times throughout the 25-minute address, making it the most cited term in her speech. It was her second New Year’s press conference since taking power two years ago.
“This year is a chance to focus on revitalizing the economy and bring forward national reform, as there are no national elections to take place,” she said.
She stressed the need to reform the public sector and abolish unnecessary regulations that impede economic growth. The president also reiterated the importance of a “creative economy” as a growth engine.
Unification was another keyword in the president’s address, as this year marks the 70th year since Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule.
Park Geun-hye said she would meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without preconditions to lay the groundwork for a peaceful potential unification.
"I can meet with anyone if necessary to open the path of a peaceful unification," said Park.
On the issue of reunions between separated family members, she mentioned the possibility of hosting a session over the Lunar New Year’s holiday.
Earlier in her speech, the president apologized over the ‘memogate’ scandal, a document leak that exposed an alleged power struggle at the presidential office. She claimed the allegations over the scandal were groundless.