Lee to give New Year`s address Friday

By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Dec. 28 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak will deliver his New Year's
address on Friday, appealing for nationwide efforts to reinvigorate the slumping
economy, aides said Sunday.
In the address to be televised starting at 10 a.m., Lee will explain his
government's policy measures to weather the global financial crisis and appeal to
his people to share the pains and unite to ride out the economic difficulties,
said his spokesman, Lee Dong-kwan.
"President Lee will ask for national unity to turn the crisis into an opportunity
and stress the importance of investments to prepare for the future," said the
spokesman, adding that the address will last about 20 minutes.
On Saturday, the president said the worldwide financial crisis would reach its
peak during the first half of next year, forcing South Korea to suffer its first
negative economic growth in a decade.
The spokesman said Lee in his speech will reiterate his determination to stamp
out corruption and irregularities but may not mention anything about reshuffling
the Cabinet and the presidential secretariat.
Speculation has been mounting that the president may carry out a sweeping shakeup
of the Cabinet and the presidential Cheong Wa Dae secretariat ahead of his first
inaugural anniversary in February.
"All Cabinet ministers will have completed their 2009 policy briefings for the
president by the year's end and will make their full preparations for the New
Year. There won't be any reshuffle of the Cabinet and presidential secretaries,"
the spokesman said.
"A presidential New Year's address on Jan. 2 is unprecedented, as his
predecessors used to give their New Year's addresses in late January. The
advanced schedule reflects Lee's determination to overcome the economic crisis as
swiftly as possible," said the spokesman.
The spokesman added that the president has canceled his biweekly radio address
scheduled for Monday to concentrate on the New Year's address.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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