Citizens Want Stronger Economy
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Residents from all walks of life watching the inaugural ceremony of President Lee Myung-bak, Monday, expressed hopes that he will steer the economy out of its long slump.
``It has been hard for men like me who run their own business regardless of their scale,'' said Kang Chul-hun, 52, owner of a restaurant in Sinchon. ``As he promised, I really hope President Lee will take pro-business steps to pull the economy out of the current doldrums.''
``I'll soon get married and housing is the biggest concern for me. I hope the new President will come up with solutions for people like me,'' said Park Sung-jea, 29, an office worker.
People also pointed out that the most urgent task of the new president is reining in prices that have recently surged on rising international commodity costs.
``I chose Lee as the nation's president, valuing highly his passion,'' said housewife Song Myung-ok, 65. ``I hope he will work hard for the general public. We are suffering from soaring consumer prices.''
She also hoped that the new President should help ordinary hard-working citizens, lead a happy life and make a decent salary.
While most citizens hold high expectations on the economy-focused president, others also asked for steps to bring in balanced development.
``I don't want him to set up ridiculously huge projects and waste our money. I hope he knows all things are always easier said than done,'' Kim Jung-eun, a 25 year-old nurse said.
Kim Youn-soon, 25, a Seoul-based graduate school student, said that she wants President Lee to support schools and students as a long-term vision without focusing only on shortsighted plans.
``As a student, I hope he will make an environment where students can concentrate on their studies. He should increase the budget for schools and students,'' she said.
^Many people also asked Lee to deregulate heavy tax policies from the previous government.
``Heavy taxes have become a serious problem, especially on real estate and houses. They only made the life of the middle class much harder,'' Kwon Yong-hun, 30, a Web designer, said.
Given that Lee was involved in allegations before the election, citizens also worried about the possibility of a corrupt government.
``He was allegedly involved in scandals of corruption. I hope he will not lead another corrupt government,'' Kim Young-jun, 32, the owner of a video rental shop, said.