First lady stresses women's role in weathering economic crisis

By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Yonhap) -- The wife of President Lee Myung-bak said Thursday that Korean women have a great role to play in overcoming the ongoing financial crisis and leading the nation's future economic growth.

First lady Kim Yoon-ok, speaking at a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of
the Women's News, said the Lee government is committed to making Korean society
far more favorable to working married women by steadily expanding public
childcare facilities.
"In (natural) resource-poor countries like Korea, technology and human resources
are very important. In that sense, women are an indispensable resource," said
Kim.
"At present, the global economy is in a crisis. The Korean government is doing
its best to cope with the crisis. We can tide over the crisis if we are united
and trust each other. Women's power is particularly important at this difficult
time," she said.
Kim is a lifelong reader of the Women's News, an alternative weekly newspaper
published in Seoul.
The first lady also stressed the role of women in developing future industries,
saying their "delicate and considerate" sentiment is powerful at home and in the
workplace.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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