, Columnist
South Korea's Wildly Plausible Growth Plan
South Korean President Park Geun Hye campaigned on a pledge to build a "creative economy," and the blueprint she announced on Feb. 25 would more than deliver -- but only if it's implemented expeditiously and wisely.
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Clearly, marketing isn't Park Geun Hye's thing. That's become painfully apparent as the South Korean president pitches a "474 vision" to revitalize the nation's economy -- a task her predecessor failed at, despite deploying an eerily similar slogan.
Park's numeric acronym stands for generating 4 percent growth, a 70 percent employment rate and average per capita income of $40,000. You'd think Park would've steered very clear of any catchprase that reminded the world of Lee Myung Bak's "747 plan" flameout. Lee's platform of 7 percent growth, $40,000 of income and South Korea becoming the world's seventh-biggest economy was more punch line than strategy. Park's enemies have already connected the rhetorical dots and predicted failure.