President Kim faces nagging problems in final year in office<\/p>\n
Agencies, Seoul\/Tokyo<\/p>\n
Four years ago, President Kim Dae-jung took office with promises
\nto reconcile with North Korea and reform South Korea's
\ninefficient economy in the aftermath of the 1997-98 Asian
\nfinancial crisis.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Kim marked the start of his final year in office
\namid frozen inter-Korean dialog and a joint strike by thousands
\nof state workers opposing a government privatization plan that
\nthey fear would lead to mass layoffs.<\/p>\n
Kim's popularity has also been plummeting amid a series of
\ncorruption scandals involving high-ranking government and party
\nofficials. One scandal implicated a relative on his wife's side.<\/p>\n
But Kim remains optimistic, vowing in his last year in office
\nto stabilize the economy, amend ties with North Korea and
\nsuccessfully stage the World Cup soccer finals.<\/p>\n
\"We must review what we have accomplished in the past four
\nyears and strive to successfully complete our four major tasks
\nand stage four major events this year,\" the presidential office
\nquoted Kim as saying on Monday.<\/p>\n
Kim has also vowed to tackle corruption in his final year, and
\nwill preside over local elections, the Asian Games and the
\npresidential election in December.<\/p>\n
Kim's single five-year term ends in next February, and by law,
\nhe cannot seek re-election.<\/p>\n
That gives him little time to mend ties with North Korea,
\nwhich is upset by remarks by U.S. President George W. Bush naming
\nit part of \"an axis of evil.\" Last week, the hard-line communist
\ncountry rejected Bush's renewed offer to start dialog and vowed
\nto fight against the United States.<\/p>\n
Inter-Korean relations warmed significantly following a
\nhistoric summit between Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim
\nJong Il in 2000. Kim Dae-jung won that year's Nobel Peace Prize
\nfor his efforts to reconcile with the North.<\/p>\n
But inter-Korean exchanges stalled most of last year amid
\ntension between North Korea and the United States, a key ally of
\nSouth Korea. Now, there is no official channel of dialog between
\nthe Koreas.<\/p>\n
North Korea on Monday denounced Japan and the United States
\nfor their growing pressure on Pyongyang, warning that the
\nStalinist state will deal a retaliatory blow to \"any war
\nprovocateurs.\"<\/p>\n
North Korea's Rodong Shinmun newspaper criticized Japanese
\nPrime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. President George W.
\nBush for agreeing in Tokyo last week to tighten their alliance in
\nthe region.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-kim-faces-nagging-problems-in-final-year-in-office-1447893297",
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