President Lee Jae Myung on Sept. 11 speaks at a news conference to mark his 100th day in office at the state guesthouse Yeongbingwan of Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul. (Office of the President)

By Park Hye Ri

President Lee Jae Myung on Sept. 11, his 100th day in office, pledged to achieve national advancement and growth over the four years and nine months left in his term.

He said this at a news conference for the occasion under the theme "100 Days to Recovery, Growth for the Future" at the state guesthouse Yeongbingwan of Cheong Wa Dae in downtown Seoul.

"I took office as president with the mindset of rebuilding our broken country from the bottom up," he said. "To briefly sum up the past 100 days, I would call it a time for recovery and normalization."

President Lee said on his reflection of his first 100 days, "Above all, recovery of the people's livelihood economy was the most urgent."

He said the government's supplementary budget and stimulus vouchers to spur economic recovery early in his term resulted in recovery of consumption to its highest in seven years and seven months and the main stock price index breaking its all-time high.

"The next four years and nine months (of my term) will be the time for major advancement and growth," President Lee added. "From today until the last day of my term, I will devote myself to creating a nation where the people are the master and a Republic of Korea where everyone is happy together."

On foreign policy, he took a considerable time to answer questions and convey his stance.

"Starting from the Group of Seven summit to bilateral talks with Japan and the U.S., I've been short of breath daily," he said. "I won't be satisfied with the normalization of diplomatic ties, but will do my best to further raise the national pride and status of the Republic of Korea."

Turning to bilateral tariff negotiations with the U.S., President Lee said, "What is clear is that I will hold no secret negotiations (with Washington)," adding, "I will never make a decision that goes against the national interest."

"Until I leave office, there will be countless obstacles to overcome," he said, "What appears on the surface of the negotiations might seem tough, extreme, excessive, unreasonable and absurd but the final conclusion will be rational."

President Lee said his administration is discussing improvements in visa issuance amid the arrest and detention of hundreds of Korean workers by immigration authorities in the U.S. He said negotiations seek to normalize operations of the visa issuance system related to Korea's planned investment in America, secure a higher visa quota and introduce new visa categories.

On ties with Japan, President Lee said, "My position is that we must not ignore issues of history and territory."

"Future-oriented matters such as social, economic and civilian exchanges must be approached separately from issues of the past to improve bilateral ties," he added. "When Japan names a new prime minister, we will use a 'two-track strategy' to investigate and clarify things as needed."

President Lee also mentioned North Korea, saying, "To restore trust between both Koreas, the government will keep creating room for dialogue that goes beyond political conditions."

"We will boost diplomatic efforts for the stability of the Korean Peninsula in close cooperation with the international community."

hrhr@korea.kr