"Civil servants should maintain an unshakable view of the state in their efforts to overcome the current economic crisis and prepare for a new forthcoming era. In this way, we can move forward together in the same direction at the same pace and win competitions with any country in the world," President Lee Myung-bak said on Dec. 22.

President Lee said this when he received briefings from the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, and the Ministry of Environment at Cheong Wa Dae that morning. He also said, "Civil servants should lead efforts to overcome the economic crisis. If some in the ranks fail to catch up with the prevailing pace, the ranks as a whole cannot gain speed."

The President said, "No matter how preoccupied we are with our endeavor to revive the economy, we can''t shrink from implementing changes and reforms. We should continue to do both -- to revive the economy and to implement changes and reforms."

The President added, "Despite some twists and turns, the government budget program was approved by the National Assembly. Now the people are watching how quickly the government can execute it."

The President went on to say that what is regrettable is the lack of cooperation between government agencies. He said, "Fierce competition between government agencies could result in wasting the budget and achieving fewer effects. Government offices should cooperate with each other, considering that many projects need cooperation between more than three government agencies."

The President also said, "Here we are to receive briefings earlier than in previous years with a view to executing the budget immediately from Jan. 2. You should be aware that besides taking prompt actions, it''s also important to execute the budget very efficiently."

The President said, "Today, we are here together with heads of various subsidiary organizations of the government, which deal directly with the people. They too should make a fresh start with a renewed resolve. They should correctly understand what they should do to cope with the crisis and join efforts to attain government goals."

The President continued, "I hope today''s briefing session will turn out to be not a mere perfunctory process, but an opportunity to discuss key substantial issues. Those, who sit in the second row, can raise your hands and present your views anytime, if you want."

The President also said, "I hope that this round of briefings will turn out to be effective. After the briefing session, we should go together in the same direction. We should get off to a new start based on a consensus we''ll reach through discussions."