By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
President-elect Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that it is time for people to build up their confidence in the economy as a ``can-do" spirit will help them get through the ``complex challenges'' ahead.
In a news conference at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul a day after he won a landslide victory in the presidential election, Lee said the people had chosen pragmatism over ideology.
``It's time to move on. We should let the past go and be prepared for the future,'' he stressed.
He made it clear that his administration will seek the dual goal of growth and reducing social polarization as a strategy for national management.
The public sector is likely to shrink as Lee emphasized the need for small government on several occasions, while the private sector is expected to expand as deregulation and tax cuts are also major policy pledges.
With regard to foreign policy Lee said that pragmatism was the core driving force behind his redesigning diplomatic and economic relations with other countries.
Lee said his administration will improve relations with the U.S. and Asian countries under the banner of smart diplomacy.
He said he will get through the complex challenges facing the nation with creative and pragmatic leadership.
The former Seoul mayor stressed the public should build confidence that they can make things happen and leaders should spread optimism throughout the community.
``The era of hatred, anger and lies has gone. Politics of optimism will make this society move forward,'' he said.
Pledging to seek change based on consensus, the President-elect said change is necessary in government. ``No growth or promising future will be made as long as we stick with old practices.''
No growth will be achieved at the expense of deepening social polarization, the President-elect said.
A former CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, Lee said he will help working and middle class citizens be better off as a result of economic growth.
He said his government will help these classes become winners by embracing equity as a core policy goal of his government.
His opponents described him as a leader who has little compassion for the underprivileged during the campaign.
Dismissing this criticism, Lee said he will build a system through which low-income families benefit from a trickle-down effect from economic growth.
He said the public chose him because they want change.
Vowing that he will work closely with the incumbent government through his transition team, Lee said he will transform its structure into a small but efficient organization.
During the campaign, Lee pointed out the negative impact of a big public sector on the economy.
He made it clear that he would freeze the number of government officials and merge or abolish agencies and committees.
The President-elect seemed to be mindful of the pervasive worries in the public sector, and asked government employees to stay focused on their work.
Lee said he will put top policy priority on making the economy work and seek an alternative engine for growth by putting a pro-business climate in place.
He pledged to create a positive investment infrastructure to encourage business leaders to make investments and create more jobs by moving the economy forward.
``The Lee Myung-bak administration will place top priority on building a business-friendly environment from the very beginning of the government,'' he said.
Lee said he will help the local economy, small- and medium-sized businesses and self-employed people find a business breakthrough by implementing relevant policies.
Lee said he will help the country be a global power by seeking proactive and wise diplomacy with Asian countries and the U.S.
Pragmatism is a core value that he plans to place at the heart of his smart diplomacy.
Lee indicated he will embrace multi-lateralism in his foreign policy strategy by saying that balancing national interest and universal values of human beings is the key to smart diplomacy.
The President-elect said he will seek joint gains with the U.S. government and bolster the Korea- U.S. alliance based on mutual trust.
Lee also underlined a proactive Asia diplomacy after he takes office next February.
During the campaign, Lee said he will strengthen economic ties with China, which has risen as a global economic powerhouse. He also said he will build solid diplomatic relations with Japan.
The President-elect indicated a policy shift in the government's North Korea policy.
He made it clear that his government will not try to curry favor with Pyongyang when it comes to the North Korean human rights issue.
Experts said that his comments regarding the human rights issue mean that the forthcoming administration could take a tougher stance.
Lee stressed that Pyongyang's denuclarization will create a win-win situation for South and North Korea. He said that Pyongyang will see prosperity if it gives up its nuclear programs.
He emphasized that the mutually beneficial inter-Korean relations will come only after the North gives up these.
``The two Koreas could open a new era of cooperation on a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, and this will make it easier for South and North Korea to achieve peaceful reunification in the future,'' he said.