Fortunately, when Korea was struck by the 1997/8 financial crisis, that was a good opportunity for us to engage in fundamental reforms and strengthen our financial structure. As a result, our financial regulatory structure and regime have been very much strengthened.

He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. He promised to seek a Korean Economic Community agreement to establish the legal and systemic framework for any projects emerging from the negotiations. S.

He ended his five-year term on February 25 2013 and was succeeded by Park Geun-hye. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk a South Korean politician. Lee altered the South Korean government's approach to North Korea preferring a more hardline strategy in the wake of increased provocation from the North though he was supportive of regional dialogue with Russia China and Japan.