Korea Times, January 6, 2008
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Outgoing President Roh Moo-hyun has stepped up his criticism of President-elect Lee Myung-bak's policies and his conservative platform.
In response, Lee's transition committee criticized Roh for ``still not having understood the people's judgment'' in the Dec. 19 election on the incumbent government's ``failed management of state affairs.'' Roh's five-year tenure ends on Feb. 25.
``We don't have to respond to every comment by Roh,'' transition committee spokesman Lee Dong-kwan told reporters. ``The outcome of the presidential election has already shown how the people evaluate his government's policies.''
Lee Myubg-bak of the conservative opposition Grand National Party (GNP) had a landslide victory over Chung Dong-young of the pro-government United New Democratic Party (UNDP), winning by some 5.3 million votes, the biggest margin of victory in the 20-year history of democratic elections in Korea.
The spokesman said Roh's argument on the team's ``high-handed'' attitude toward government officials was based on the wrong information and assessment of the current situation.
Roh expressed his disgruntlement Friday, arguing the transition team was focusing on disrupting policies initiated by his liberal government.
A day earlier, he strongly denounced Lee's campaign pledges to overhaul the education system and build a cross-country canal.
``The transition team is only focusing on breaking down the `Participatory Government's' policies,'' Roh said in a New Year's meeting with businessmen in downtown Seoul. ``The transition team seems to think differentiating policies from the current ones is good. But I think that's just a populism-oriented move.''
Roh warned that he would not cooperate on the transfer of state affairs unless the team stops ``rubbing salt into the wound,'' referring to Lee's request for Roh to refrain from appointing high-ranking government officials during his remaining tenure.
Earlier in the day, the President complained that Lee's team was chiding government officials who advocated policies different from those of the next government.
The harsh remarks ran counter to a pledge Roh made during his meeting with the President-elect at Cheong Wa Dae late last year.
In his New Year's message, Roh also said that the government would support the transition of state affairs in an active manner.
The transition team has announced a range of plans to revise current policies on education, the economy, real estate, North Korea and government organization, following briefings by ministries and agencies.
The committee unveiled plans to give more autonomy to universities in their selection of students in a bid to raise the education competitiveness after abolishing Roh's flagship ``three nos'' policy.
The current education policy aims to prevent universities from administering their own entrance exams, ranking high schools and accepting donations for admitting students.
Last year, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development said in a report that the policy infringes upon a college's basic autonomous rights.
The transition team has also announced growth-focused economic policies to boost the country's falling foreign investment through deregulation and more corporate incentives, a U turn from Roh's policies centered on redistribution and tax hikes.
The team announced plans to disband the Government Information Agency, which spearheaded a new media policy to close most government pressrooms, and reduce the roles of the prime minister's office and unification ministry.
Rep. Shim Jae-chul, vice floor leader of the GNP, said Roh was too arrogant and ignorant to ``read the tsunami'' of the people's judgment, apparently referring to Roh's remarks Friday that the next government's education policy would result in an ``education tsunami.''
GNP spokeswoman Na Kyung-won said, ``It's shameful that the outgoing President is indulging in backbiting the new leader's campaign pledges and policies.''
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr
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