President Park Geun-hye on Monday pledged to step up efforts to "innovate" the way the government works to strengthen communication with citizens and better cater to their needs, stressing her drive for "people-centered" state management.

At the opening ceremony of an exhibition showcasing efforts to enhance government services, Park also underscored that relentless innovation is a prerequisite for the nation to achieve a "new leap forward in an era of infinite competition."

"The ultimate goal of all these innovation efforts is to make a country where people lead happy lives," the chief executive said at the exhibition in southern Seoul, which began its four-day run on Sunday.

"Should the 'Government 3.0' initiative seep into the everyday lives of the people and take firm root, (we) can achieve an innovation that can actually assist our citizens," she added, pledging to continuously revamp government services to make them "available at citizens' fingertips."

"Government 3.0" refers to her commitment to better serve the people by making more administrative information available to the public and strengthen two-way communication with citizens so as to better understand their needs and provide them with tailored services.

The term -- taken from computer software jargon -- emphasizes that government services will be upgraded from "Government 2.0," which officials say was the beginning of two-way communication.

"Government 1.0" was when the administration provided information mostly in one direction.

Park said that this year, her government would focus its policy attention on making Government 3.0 "part of citizens' day-to-day lives." To realize this, she urged the central and provincial governments and public institutions to strengthen their cooperation.

Under the main theme "Government at your fingertips," the exhibition at COEX runs some 100 booths where central and local governments and other state-run corporations present their innovative services for citizens. (Yonhap)