Kim’s Gov’t 6 Merits and 5 Demerits

President Kim Dae-Jung assured yesterday that he will make an``effort for the continuous reformation and progress coupled with humble self-reflections,`` as he reflects on the achievements and problems of his administration for past three years.

The President made a speech on the 33rd national breakfast prayer meeting at Hilton Hotel, Seoul. Kim enlisted 6 merits of his administration for past 3 years, including the improvement of Korean human rights situation into the international standard, overcoming the Foreign exchange crisis, preparation of a framework for the reformation of 4 major sectors: the public organizations, labor, private industries, and finance, realization of the world-best information technology, the South-North summit, and the achievement of a productive well-being and the establishment of 4 major public insurances such as a national pension plan, health insurance, employment insurance, and industrial disaster compensation insurance.

However, President Kim mentions, ``The reality of our situation is not all simply rosy.`` He pointed out that there still maintain 5 problems to be resolved such as political unstability, economic depression, sufferings of the alienated people, regional sentiments, and the stagnation of the South-North relationship. He also emphasized, ``While we appropriately accept what we have done, we should look squarely at the problems before us.``

President Kim presented five major projects to be continued. He stressed the restless effort for the development of human rights and democracy, achievement of pan-national reconciliation, establishment of a powerful knowledge-based country, protecting the middle class and ordinary people, and the development of peaceful cooperation between the South and the North. The President requested unremitting supports of the people for those policies can not be achieved only by administration’s effort.

Yun Seung-Mo ysmo@donga.com