By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter


Health and Welfare Minister Kim Geun-tae expressed regret that his remarks criticizing the government policy regarding the mobilization of national pension funds to boost the economy have sparked a controversy, government officials said Tuesday.

The minister’s about face on the public fund issue came amid growing concerns over his remarks within political circles as President Roh Moo-hyun, on his overseas trip, also expressed displeasure with his comments a day earlier, saying, ``It’s inappropriate.’’

During a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul, Kim said he ``feels sorry that his comments caused concerns,’’ explaining he had just wanted to deliver a message to the people on ``the stable management of the public fund.’’

``I was very concerned about the growing public distrust of the national pension fund,’’ Kim said. ``So, I had to explain the management principle of the public money for the people.’’

Minister Kim, in charge of the public fund, also denied speculations that his remarks were politically motivated, stressing, ``It was solely for the policy,’’ Kim said, who is regarded as a presidential hopeful.

On his ministry’s homepage, the 57-year-old political heavyweight last week clarified his position against the Finance Ministry-led investment plan, a ``Korean version of the New Deal policy,’’ to mobilize public pension funds in large-scale public work projects in a bid to revive the nation’s sagging economy.

Despite Kim’s attempt to settle the controversy, however, the ruling Uri Party is mired in a fresh round of debate over the dissenting voice from a core member of the party.

``How can an employee criticize his company’s policy on his homepage? That’s against common sense,’’ a mainstream lawmaker of the party argued. Some members of the party did not rule out the possibility of Minister Kim being dismissed.

But some lawmakers who are close to the health and welfare minister, expressed displeasure with the scolding from the president and other colleagues, defending Kim’s explanation that ``the remark was for a policy, not for political implications.’’

Rep. Moon Hee-sang, a confidant to President Roh, expressed regret over Kim’s opposition to the government policy but didn’t want the incident to develop into a struggle within the party.

``The way Kim raised a question on the policy was not right,’’ Moon said. ``But some media reports describing Roh as `angry’ at Kim might be exaggerated.’’

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr