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At the nation's top office.
President Park Geun-hye expressed again her concerns about the new Cabinet that is missing
some of its ministers those who are still awaiting parliamentary confirmation due to
the holdup at the National Assembly over her government restructuring plan.
Our presidential office correspondent Eoh Jin-joo has this report.
In what's beginning to sound like a broken record, President Park, once again on Monday,
urged the main opposition Democratic United Party to pass the government restructuring
bill as soon as possible for the nation and the people.
Speaking at her administration's first Cabinet meeting in the afternoon, which took place
two weeks after her inauguration, President Park expressed concern over the vacancies
in several posts, including the presidential national security office chief, the defense
minister and deputy prime minister for economic affairs.
The president said she was particularly concerned about the empty seats at a time when North
Korea is stepping up its threats against Seoul and the international community and when the
global economy is going through a prolonged crisis.
President Park took aim at lawmakers, saying they were too caught up in their own political
interests, and that they were neglecting the true meaning of politics.
"Politicians have repeatedly told the people that they would represent them, but the true
spirit of politics has disappeared due to power struggles."
Despite the incomplete Cabinet, President Park vowed to do her best to create a government
that will look after the people's livelihoods.
The president stressed that the government should first expose the immense underground
economy and root-out tax evasion in society, in order to secure the funds needed for her
welfare pledges.
She also ordered her Cabinet to eradicate stock price manipulation to create a more
institutionalized and transparent market by probing commercial law violation cases.
And to reduce any unnecessary budget spending, President Park asked the Cabinet to thoroughly
examine major national projects, especially the disputed four-rivers restoration project
that was spearheaded by the Lee Myung-bak administration.
Eoh Jin-joo, Arirang News.