By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak pledged efforts Monday to provide more cultural experience programs for the poor and those living in rural areas.
"Culture will become a crucial economic asset in the 21st century," Lee said in a pre-recorded biweekly address, broadcast through radio and the online video site, YouTube. "We need to build a system in which all people, regardless of where they live and which social class they belong to, can experience culture in their daily lives."
Lee said the administration will step up efforts to promote the country's traditional culture and food globally.
"The advanced and first-class nation I dream of is not one that merely has high income, but a nation that has a high level of culture well balanced with its economic development," Lee said.
Korea's traditional culture and food are globally competitive and make it one of the well-developed cultural nations in the world. However, the problem is that not everyone has enough opportunities to experience culture, especially in rural areas, the president said.
"I plan to significantly expand our people's right to enjoy culture. I will significantly reduce the imbalance of access to cultural events between different regions and classes of people," Lee said.
He also called for efforts to globalize the country's traditional culture, saying it is the fastest way to let the world know Korea.
"We are beginning to realize that our unique cultural assets and food are something we can boast of. We must let the world know that Korea is an advanced nation not only economically, but also culturally," Lee said.