hankyoreh

President Roh Moo-hyun said Saturday that the South Korean economy is now in stable condition, countering opposition presidential candidates' claims that the economy is on the verge of bankruptcy.

"Some (opposition) politicians are vowing to lift the economic growth rate to 7 percent a year in the next administration. They are pledging to rehabilitate a normal sound economy. I fear any forcible pump-priming measures (by the next government) would trigger an economic crisis," Roh said in a special speech to a meeting of his political supporters in Seoul.

"Other (opposition) politicians are promising to build a pan-Korea grand waterway by recruiting private investors. But I don't think any normal-minded enterprise would invest in such a project."

The president apparently referred to leading opposition presidential contenders Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, who have respectively adopted the nationwide canal project and 7-percent economic growth as their key campaign pledges.

"Both South Korea-China train-ferry project (by Park) and a cross-country waterway project (by Lee) are too insignificant compared with my government's Northeast Asia hub scheme, for instance. Presidential hopefuls are supposed to look at the bigger picture. The (main opposition) Grand National Party (GNP) is also accused of having assumed an irresponsible attitude in almost all policy issues," said the president.

Roh urged all anti-GNP forces to unite to put up a strong presidential candidate, but made clear his personal veto over former Gyeonggi Province governor Sohn Hak-kyu who has defected from the GNP in pursuit of ruling-camp candidacy.

Roh said the soaring stock prices could be a barometer of the healthy economy. "My Participatory Government won't hand over any economic crisis or burden to the next government."

The GNP immediately issued a counterstatement, urging Roh to free himself from "delusions of grandeur and narcissism."

"We're seriously concerned about the president's mental health.

He has to distance himself from politics," said the GNP statement.

Rep. Chin Soo-hee, representing the Lee camp, contended that Lee's waterway project has already drawn strong interest even from foreign investors, while Rep. Han Sun-kyo, a spokesman for the Park camp, said that the Korean people may have to endure further economic hardships over the next eight months under the Roh government.

The president also said he remains unchanged in his determination to close almost all government-office pressrooms, accusing local media of distorting key foreign pressroom data for their own interests.

"The political and media circles are among the nation's most backward sectors. My government's pressroom reform is meant to rectify undesirable practices of the local media," Roh said.

"In many advanced countries, reporters (covering government ministries and agencies) are not given separate office space for story writing. Nevertheless, local media and some political parties and politicians criticize the latest policy as a crackdown on press freedom and keep resisting the pressroom reform measures," Roh said.

On Tuesday, Roh said that he was willing to entirely shut down all government office pressrooms if local media continue to resist the government's plan to consolidate hundreds of pressrooms into half a dozen pressrooms and briefing rooms.

"I don't understand why the local media keep claiming unjustifiable rights and privileges. Why do they keep producing unconscientious reports? Why do they fail to report that pressrooms are absent in advanced countries? Japan, which has pressrooms, ranks 53rd in press freedom and the United States ranks 51st, whereas South Korea is ranked 31st," said Roh.

He then expressed regret at a protest letter sent to him by the International Press Institute, saying, "The IPI's protest was based on wrong information. I regret that distorted information has been delivered (to the IPI)."

Roh and the media have maintained uncomfortable relations since his inauguration in February 2003. The president and his aides have constantly accused local media of underestimating and even distorting the government's accomplishments related to the economy, diplomacy and North Korea policy.

In the hours-long speech made in front of an audience of about 1,000 people, Roh evaluated policy accomplishments by his government over the past four years and discussed the tasks necessary to catapult South Korea into the ranks of advanced countries.

The meeting was organized by the Participatory Government Evaluation Forum, a group of former presidential secretaries, government officials and supporters who focus on evaluating the Roh government.

SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap News)