SEOUL, Former President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday expressed hope for young businesspeople in South Korea to lead the country's economic advancement with new ideas in the era of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI). Lee, a former businessman-turned-politician, made the remarks at a breakfast meeting of CEOs from member companies of the Korea International Trade Association held in Seoul. "In the era of AI, our young entrepreneurs will be able to adapt and advance most rapidly," Lee said, while adding, "I hope they will bring forth many ideas to propel the economic leap of South Korea." Lee, who served as president from February 2008 to February 2013, praised the perseverance and determinations of South Korean companies despite external risks. "I believe that our entrepreneurs will always overcome challenges, crossing hundreds of mountains and thousands of rivers during the process," he said. Lee also stressed the government should robustly support businesses in terms of laws and regulations to ensure companies can generate profits. The former president also recalled how he maintained close ties with his former Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, during his term. "We were able form friendly relations with China through close communication with then President Hu Jintao," Lee said. During retirement, Lee was convicted of bribery and embezzlement, and was sentenced to 17 years in prison in 2020. He was given a special pardon last year, which canceled his remaining prison term of roughly 15 years and some 8.2 billion won (US$6.3 million) of unpaid fines. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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