Well, with the water flowing in Cheonggye stream it seems that Seoul's Mayor Lee Myung-bak is riding the crest of the wave. While some say the water will die down quickly, others hope that he rides it all the way into the presidency.
The Chosun put out a small interview in English with the Mayor. I think it deservers a read in it's entirety:It seems not a day goes by without an article about the Cheonggye Stream. Why do you think the restoration project has been such a hit?
“I think it’s people’s interest in seeing something they thought was impossible come to fruition. It’s a positive response to seeing something unexpected accomplished in an age when ‘nothing is being accomplished even as nothing fails.’”
There also appears to be some jealousy from those who say you are over-praised for doing something that wasn’t all that spectacular, while others say you’ve spent tons of money on nothing more than sprucing up a canal.
“That’s because they don’t know its history. The Cheonggye Stream is an artificial waterway that differs from a natural stream flowing through the fields. It was built during the reign of King Taejong of the Chosun Dynasty to stop flooding, and during the reign of King Yeongjo, 200,000 men from around the country were mobilized to build the embankments. The stream has been restored to how it looked back then.”
Have you had difficulties being Seoul mayor as a member of the opposition party?“There were major traffic problems with construction going on in the heart of the city. Authority over traffic rests with the central government and police, but there were difficulties owing to poor cooperation. When we had to remove 1,500 stalls, not one policeman helped. The authority over cultural properties, too, rests with the central government’s committee, but although the city carried out its construction according to the decision of the committee, there were many instances where it tried to find fault, saying Seoul was building things and ignoring the city’s historic sites.”
The covering of City Hall with Korean flags on Liberation Day was a hot topic. Was there a think-tank that gave the city this idea?“There’s no think tank, but there are people I consult about personal life and politics. It’s not an organized thing. This Liberation Day was the 60th anniversary of Korea’s liberation, so we pondered what we could do. We wondered how we could peacefully make Japan aware, inspire patriotism in the people, and give courage to the young. So we drew up the Korean flag idea in outline and debated it in several departments, but some thought it might be impossible because of the wind. Seoul officials were added to the meeting, and in the end, some young artists said it was possible, and it was done.”
You’re making a people-centered city, building many crosswalks downtown and planting grass in Seoul Plaza and Sungnyemun Plaza. Is this the result of a consistent plan?“Actually, I made my own preparations for it before becoming mayor. I made a list of 20 things. The Cheonggye Steam restoration, public transport reform and the New Town construction were carried out according to the order of the list. Welfare and cultural projects are now being carried out in the second half of my term. The group that gave me the most help prior to my inauguration was a Seoul metropolitan government advisory team composed of foreigners. It was made up of foreign CEOs, academics and diplomats and their families who have lived in Seoul for more than five years.”
You’re believed to be a major contender for the next presidential election. Many people are saying you’ll carry out a major national project of a vast scale dissimilar to the Cheonggye Stream restoration. Is there some project you are thinking of should you become a presidential candidate? Some are talking about the construction of a “Seoul-Busan Canal” linking the Han and Nakdong rivers.
“The biggest problem facing out society at the moment is employment; the most basic thing to make the people happy is to create jobs. One cannot create jobs through cutting-edge IT and BT industries alone. In a country of 50 million people, you can create jobs only by appropriately endowing the country with high-tech industries, financial services and manufacturing. In order to foster national competitiveness, we must cut prime costs by decreasing distribution costs. Transport costs from Seoul to Busan are similar or greater than those between Busan and Los Angeles. The Seoul-Busan Canal plan I announced during the 14th National Assembly is a comprehensive plan to foster national competitiveness and create jobs. A leader is someone who endlessly gives the people vision and hope.”
Is your wealth, which some say is excessive for a man even with a past in a white-collar job, perhaps a weak point?
“I’m proud of the fact that I have a lot of property. I think it gives hope that a poor person can become rich. My total current wealth isn’t even the annual salary of a CEO of a leading global firm. I went into a firm with 100 employees (Hyundai Construction) and made it into one with 160,000, so I think I had the right to be sufficiently compensated. I’ve lived by saving. If I had spent money I didn’t have to spend, I wouldn’t have become rich.”
There are some who expect that you’ll return your wealth to society one day.
“This is usually said by people who’ve made their money unjustly or those with an interest in other people’s money. I won’t bequeath all my money to my children, but I won’t say I’ll give it back. This is a political statement. I’ve made plans on how I’ll use my wealth in the future. I will do it according to those plans.”
Your supporters are calling for an early party convention. Do you agree with this?“That should be left to Grand National Party chairwoman Park Geun-hye. Whether someone retires should be left to them; it’s not desirable to create an overheated atmosphere by calling a party convention and fight. I will take a step back and follow the party’s decision. I won’t differentiate between what is advantageous and disadvantageous to me.”
What do you think makes you different from Park Geun-hye?
“There’s no need to ask that. Everyone knows. We’re completely different. The lives we’ve lived are completely different, and our administration styles are different. But only when two very different people come together can they become powerful and cooperate. If Park and I combine our strength, it could produce a great synergistic effect. People see us as rivals, but I think of us as collaborators. I will join hands with Park to cooperate and take back the government.”
