Lee talk show to cover N. Korea, economic policies

President Lee Myung-bak is to give his views on inter-Korean relations, diplomatic issues and the government’s economic policy plans for this year in a televised talk show Tuesday morning.

In the 90-minute show titled “Dialogue with the President: the Republic of Korea in 2011,” Lee will discuss foreign affairs, security and economy with Hallym University of Graduate Studies professor Chung Kwan-yong and SBS-TV anchorwoman Han Soo-jin.

The show will be broadcast live from the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae from 10 a.m. It will be Lee’s first televised talk show to be held in his office.

Lee plans to explain the government’s policy directions on relations with North Korea, the U.S. and China, free trade agreements and how to curb inflation, Cheong Wa Dae officials said.

The president earlier described national security and the economy as the “two important pillars in state affairs” this year.

He is also expected to touch on major pending issues such as the four-river development project, the plan to build a 3.5 trillion won science-business belt and whether the country should revise its decades-old Constitution.

The main opposition Democratic Party has criticized Lee for having never held a New Year’s press conference where the president and journalists can exchange questions and answers “without a script.” Lee has instead given New Year’s national addresses.

Lee has so far held six press conferences, excluding those immediately after summits with foreign heads of state. Four of them were limited to certain topics such as the Seoul G20 summit and the atomic power plant deal Korea won in the United Arab Emirates. The two others were held in April and June 2008.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)