( AFP ) - South Korea's next leader Lee Myung-Bak on Thursday promised pragmatic policies aimed at revitalising the economy and persuading North Korea to denuclearise and improve its rights record.
"The people opted for pragmatism over ideology," said the president-elect, in his first press conference since his landslide victory Wednesday which ended a decade of left-leaning rule.
Lee, from the conservative opposition Grand National Party (GNP), will be Seoul's first president with a business background.
The former Hyundai chief executive secured the biggest victory margin in the country's democratic history as voters backed him to revive the economy and disregarded fraud allegations.
Koreans are grappling with high youth unemployment, an ever-widening income gap and soaring property prices.
"I will enhance public trust in the government through efficiency and reform," he said, promising a business-friendly atmosphere to encourage investment.
Lee avoided mentioning an issue overshadowing the transition, an upcoming inquiry ordered by parliament into his alleged links to a 2001 share-rigging fraud.
But in comments later in the day, he expressed confidence he would be cleared.
Lee, 66, told the press conference companies had been discouraged by "anti-market and anti-business" sentiment under the outgoing government of President Roh Moo-Hyun.
"When I am sworn in, the investment environment for businesses will completely change," he said, adding that he would soon meet business leaders and foreign investors.
Lee, who takes office on February 25, also promised pragmatic and non-partisan dealings with North Korea. He urged the impoverished hardline communist state to scrap its nuclear weapons programmes in return for economic aid from Seoul.
"Certainly, I will open a peaceful, nuclear-free era on the Korean peninsula," Lee promised. " North Korea can proceed toward the road of development by giving up its nuclear facilities."
Lee said he would also encourage the North to improve its human rights record.
"The issue of human rights is an issue we cannot avoid," he said, accusing liberal governments of the past decade of turning a blind eye to avoid damaging ties.
"In inter-Korean relations, we should not shy away from criticism. Caring criticism will even make North Korean society healthier."
Lee promised that moves by the North to completely scrap its atomic weapons "would initiate real and full-scale inter-Korean exchanges."
He said he would persuade Pyongyang that the way to maintain the regime and look after its people was to denuclearise.
Lee promised that Seoul would play an active role in six-nation negotiations. The North is disabling its atomic plants but has not yet made a full declaration of its nuclear activities, as required under a six-party pact.
Lee's party urged Roh to veto the bill setting up an fraud investigation by an independent prosecutor.
"It is low-class politics to dig into a president-elect through an independent counsel's investigation or a hearing," GNP president Kang Jae-Sup told a radio programme.
"Isn't it good for outgoing President Roh Moo-Hyun to veto such a bill for the sake of national unity?"
Asked about the call, a presidential spokesman said there had been "no new discussion" on the issue. Roh has previously said he will sign the bill.
State prosecutors cleared Lee early this month of involvement in a 2001 fraud involving his former business partner.
But apparent new video evidence surfaced Sunday of Lee's past connection to a firm linked to the scandal, prompting rivals in parliament to vote for a new probe.
Lee also met the US and Japanese ambassadors and promised to work for stronger ties.
"The South Korea-US relationship for the past five years has not gone completely bad, but lacked sufficient trust between the two," he was quoted as telling ambassador Alexander Vershbow.