Senior V. Chmn. Lee Seung-cheol of the Federation of Korean Industries, right, 

shakes hands with Minister Choi Mun-kee of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning 

at his office on Jan. 14 following the official appointment as co-chairman of the 

Creative Economy Promotion Team for the civilian sector. (Photo: MSIP)

Senior Vice Chairman Lee Seung-cheol of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) has been named co-chairman for the civilian sector for the Creative Economy Promotion Team, a joint team made up of the government and civilian sectors to push various activities and government policies under the government’s Creative Economy drive.

On the government side, Deputy Minister Park Hang-sik of the Creative Economy Coordination Office of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) has been named co-chairman.

The organization was established as a government and civilian sector joint body in a ceremony on Jan. 13 so that government policies under the Creative Economy drive will be carried out effectively with a civilian co-chairman jointly leading the organization.

Minister Choi Mun-kee of the MSIFP officially appointed Lee as the civilian sector co-chairman in his office on Jan. 14.

Co-chairman Lee said he will do his best by taking advantage of his extensive experience in the private sector to effectively lead the policies of the Creative Economy. He pledged to collect as many ideas as possible from the corporate sector to help make the Creative Economy drive successful and at the same time help the civilian sector fully understand what the Creative Economy is about.

The Creative Economy Promotion Team held its launch ceremony at the KT building on Jan. 13 with the participation of government ministers and business leaders and led by Deputy Prime Minister Hyun Oh-seok and Chairman Huh Chang-soo of the FKI and Chairman Han Duck-soo of the Korea International Trade Association, among others.

Deputy Prime Minister Hyun, in his congratulatory speech, said the tipping point for the Creative Economy drive is possible only when the civilian sector participates, and it is very important that SMEs, large conglomerates, research organizations, and the government cooperate together because the recommendations from the team will quickly be turned into government policies.

The top economic official said the government will ease various regulations to perk up the economy and create jobs and search for and nurture new growth engines and new industries so that the team can play a central role in the Creative Economy drive.

In the meantime, in cooperation with the Special Committee on the Creative Economy and Job Creation of the ruling Saenuri Party and the Korea Venture Business Association (KOVA), the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) held a debate on ‘The Creative Economy Creating Jobs!’

In his opening remarks, FKI Vice Chairman Lee noted, “We can easily draw examples of the creative economy from the service sector at home. The introduction of such adventure programs as the mountain train in Lucerne, Switzerland, and horseback riding and bike trekking in Yosemite National Park, in the United States, into Korea where mountains account for about 70 percent of the whole land, could create employment not only in the service industry but in the related manufacturing sector.

The FKI held an opening ceremony for the Hyanggi Bodeumi Nanumi (or caring and sharing) Child Care Center on Sept. 5 at the Namdong Industrial Complex in Incheon. The center is designed to help working moms with problems arising from working and raising children. The project was joined by the Namdong-gu Office of the Incheon Metropolitan Government and Community Chest of Korea.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, FKI Vice Chairman Lee quoted a working mom’s letter from a childcare SNS community saying, “With nowhere to take care of their kids, working moms in Korea just give their pay to baby-sitters, and home helpers. Without economic benefits to speak of, we take care of kids after work, and all day on weekends. Thus, we cannot help quitting our jobs.” 

“After childbirth, moms need help from someone for 10 years. That’s why the business community offered to help them with childcare,” Lee added.