President Park Geun-hye will hold a meeting with business leaders representing the nation’s 17 conglomerates to discuss ways to expand her creative economy vision on Friday, the presidential office said Thursday.

The meeting was planned as she wrapped up her on-site visits Wednesday to 17 technology innovation centers across the country, a policy mission carried out over nearly two years. The centers are the centerpiece of her mantra of the creative economy aimed at nurturing venture companies in collaboration with large companies.

“President Park will invite heads of the creative economy innovation centers and representatives of firms that support the centers’ operation,” said presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook.

The list of business tycoons includes Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jay-yong, SK Group’s SUPEX Council chairman Kim Chang-keun, POSCO chairman Kwon Oh-joon, Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo and LG Electronics chairman Koo Bon-moo. GS Group chairman Huh Chang-soo, Amore Pacific chairman Suh Kyung-bae and Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho will also attend the meeting, the official said.

Park has held two meetings with groups of business leaders since entering office in early 2013. But it is the first time for the president to hold a meeting of this magnitude at Cheong Wa Dae.

She will express her appreciation for their efforts in nurturing the creative economy and will seek their ideas on setting viable directions for the innovation centers, Min said.

At the meeting, the president is likely to deliver a message to the business leaders on her reform efforts aimed at revitalizing the nation’s sluggish economy and creating more quality jobs.

Business insiders say they are anticipating whether the president will touch upon on her plan of exercising special pardons next month. Park said she would grant presidential pardons to mark the 70th anniversary of South Korea’s liberation from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule.

In a meeting with the ruling Saenuri leadership, the president said she would “officially” review the party’s request to free business tycoons convicted of crimes. She has remained reluctant to do so, reiterating that the law has to be administered strictly and equally.

By Cho Chung-un
(christory@heraldcorp.com)