By Yoon Ja-young
Staff Reporter
Few people doubt that the economy was at the top of voters' minds in the Presidential election. Over half of voters picked the economy as a top priority, and gave a landslide victory to President-elect Lee Myung-bak who pledged to realize an annual 7 percent economic growth rate.
Lee has a number of key economic policy advisors in the transition team, who are preparing an economic blueprint for the incoming administration.
One of the top economic brains for Lee is Kang Man-soo, who was serving as vice finance and economy minister when the country was hit by the Asian financial crisis.
Kang, who was one of Lee's policy coordinators even before the presidential election, has strength in his experience as a key policymaker on the economy and taxation. The 747 pledge of Lee, which promises to achieve annual economic growth of 7 percent, and to push per capita income to $40,000 within 10 years to make Korea the world's seventh largest economy, is known to owe much to Kang.
The former minister also goes to the Presbyterian Somang Church in Abgujeong-dong, southern Seoul, where Lee is an elder. Lee has many advisors from the church, which is known as a church for the elite.
Kwak Seung-jun, an economics professor at Korea University, is known as the designer of ``MBnomics.'' Being Lee's advisor ever since he served as the Seoul mayor, Kwak coordinated not only economic agenda, but also welfare, education, domestic defense and foreign policy.
He was also involved in the controversial grand canal plan, one of the key pledges of Lee. Kwak, who is known to accurately understand Lee's economic philosophy, also goes to Somang Church.
Yoon Jin-sik, a former minister of commerce, industry and energy and currently vice chairman of the transition team's special committee on enhancing national competitiveness, is one of the top candidates to assist Lee as economy minister.
Having served as a vice finance and economy minister as well, Yoon is highly evaluated for understanding both finance and industry. He designed economic policies for public during the election.
Yoon is scheduled to give a speech on Lee's economic and diplomatic policies during a meeting with some Japanese lawmakers. Lee and Yoon are alumni of Korea University.
Sakong Il, chairman & CEO of Institute for Global Economics, joined Lee after the presidential election, but is contributing to the transition team from his vast experience as top economic policymaker.
The leading economist during the period of economic development served as minister of finance and senior secretary to the president for economic affairs under former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo. Sakong is known as a strong advocate of the market economy.