Posted February. 19, 2003 22:26,
Roh, Moo-Hyun, the President-elect clarified, in relation to the nuclear crisis of North Korea, that his opinion can be different from the United States if it is for the peace of the Korean Peninsula by stating, At this stage of time, I oppose the fact itself that the Unite States is examining the possibility of the attack on North Korea with the military power.
At the invitational meeting of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held on 19th at the Lotte Hotel located in Sogong-dong, Seoul, President-elect Roh emphasized, It is true that there is a possibility of the United States` military power attack on North Korea as a solution regarding the North Korea`s nuclear crisis but since the attack on North Korea can set off a war in the Korean Peninsula, thus causes more serious problems, I stand in opposition to the United States` examination of such possibility.
There are many people who advice me to never display any opinions in opposition to the United States but I am planning to say otherwise if it is for the peace of the Korean Peninsula and I believe that this is the right attitude to have, he stated.
President-elect Roh also added, I do not wish to create frictions with the United States regarding the revision issue of the SOFA (The ROK-US Agreement on Status of Force in Korea). However, as for the issue of the North Korea`s nuclear crisis, I will firmly stand on the side that the foreign investors and the citizens feel secure on.
In regards to the enforcement of the five-day a week working system, he emphasized, The originality is the core of the competitiveness in the society that stands on the basis of knowledge thus the five-day a week working system will surely play an important role in increasing the capacity of the originality ability within our society. The five-day a week working system must be introduced even for the reason of acquiring this international competitiveness.
However, he also added, But since if this kind of working system is introduced right away, there will be a huge burden on the management of the medium-sized companies, the government will intervene to regulate the introduction period as well as the process and also to relief the impact, it will mobilize support and methods for those companies that are predicted to experience hardship during the process.
Moreover, the President-elect Roh emphasized that the basic principles of economic applications such as the economic policies and the industrial policies will be maintained to not be so different from the economic principles of the free market, which has been promoted until now.