Prime Minister Kim Min-seok signaled an "emergency response" to the current economic situation after meeting with Tae-won Choi, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), and other business leaders.
According to the Prime Minister's Office, Kim made the remarks at the "K-Policy Briefing" held Wednesday at the KCCI headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, attended by approximately 400 people including KCCI officials and members of the public. Referring to the Middle East crisis, the prime minister said, "Through tomorrow's Cabinet meeting, the President will deliver his assessment of the situation and a message based on that assessment to the people."
The event served as a wrap-up of 15 briefing sessions held over the past four months, bringing together citizen participation groups from across the country and key business figures including Chairman Choi. ▷Originally reported in this paper on March 20
At the event, Kim said, "The recent economic situation was also a major issue at today's weekly luncheon report to the President," adding, "Extraordinary situations require an emergency response." He continued, "Those responsible for the economy on the ground must be viewing the situation with even greater urgency and feeling the tightening pressure. Enormous difficulties are coming."
Kim also presented "centrist-pragmatic New Democrat" as the desirable direction for the government and the ruling party. "We are a party, a political force, an administration, and a government that takes a relatively progressive democratic reform stance," Kim said. "I believe this is a direction that fits reality, has produced victories, and will continue to succeed and resonate with the majority of the people going forward."
He went on to say, "There have been times when the economy and politics were divided into first-class and second-class, and the people have been categorized into A, B, and C groups. But if the people, businesses, and the government unite their strength and take the path of pragmatism and democracy, the path of reform and centrist integration, we can fulfill our mission." He added, "The President, myself, and the entire Cabinet will do our utmost to run down that path." His remarks were also seen as an implicit criticism of author Yoo Si-min, who recently divided the ruling camp's support base into three categories through his "ABC theory."
The K-Policy Briefing was first launched in December last year as a platform for communication between the prime minister and the public. Starting with a session for government interns and trainee officials, 15 briefings have been held across more than 10 regions nationwide on various topics including the Democratic Party of Korea's youth policy forum, the defense industry, and small and medium-sized enterprises.