Asia-Pacific

ROK president reasserts need for "fair society"

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-02-21 10:04

SEOUL - South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on Monday threw his weight behind his signature campaign aimed at making the country a fairer society.

"Now is the time for us to redouble our efforts to create a fair society," he said in his biweekly radio speech. "Building a fair society is an essential process in our march toward a leading advanced country."

The president pointed out that "unreasonable practices" still exist in the country, and that rapid economic growth has left disparity in opportunity and wealth widened. But South Korea, Lee said, will be able to overcome these challenges and "present a new model of a fair society to the international community."

The speech came after he held the first-ever intergovernmental meeting last week focused on mapping out action plans for creating a fair society, where issues including military service, tax payment, education and labor were brought up.

The government will take initiatives in addressing "illegal and expedient practices" of the society, Lee said, calling for " active participation by all sectors of society" especially that of social leaders.