Ex-CEO takes over as South Korean president

SEOUL (Reuters) - Sounding like a man in a hurry, LeeMyung-bak became South Korea's new president on Mondaypromising pragmatism over ideology to achieve his most pressingtask -- reviving the economy.

His inauguration speech was packed with pledges taken fromhis campaign for December's election which he won by alandslide to end 10 years of liberal rule marred by sloweconomic growth.

"Although it is going to be difficult and painful, we mustchange much more and much faster," the 66-year-old conservativetold an estimated crowd of 60,000 people that included JapanesePrime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and U.S. Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice.

"Economic revival is our most urgent task," he said, vowingto seek out new engines of growth to raise the economy andcreate more jobs, promising to ditch what he called theideology of the outgoing government and replace it withpragmatism.

Lee, a prominent ex-construction company boss whose moveinto politics included a popular stint as Seoul mayor, said theworld's 13th largest economy was at a crossroads and urgedSouth Koreans to be more positive to change.

In reference to the labour strife that has plagued theeconomy for years, he pressed both unions and management tocooperate more.

And he pledged to free the economy of bureaucracy and makelife easier for businesses which complain that they werestifled under the previous liberal government.

Lee, whose campaign focused largely on promises to nearlydouble the country's economic growth, said South Korea mustalso be more open to the outside world.

The ceremony, the start of which was hosted by two popularcomedians, included traditional music and a nod to more moderntastes with a performance by a group of breakdancers. It wasdue to end to the sound of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Ode to Joy".

Lee underscored his campaign promise to improve relationswith the United States, which maintains close to 30,000 troopsin the South but with whom relations in recent years have attimes been prickly.

NORTH TIES

On his likely biggest diplomatic challenge -- how to dealwith North Korea -- the new president said relations betweenthe two must be more productive and repeated past pledges tohelp his communist neighbour raise its economy only if it endsits nuclear weapons programme.

"Together, the leaders of the two Koreas, must contemplatewhat they can do to make the lives of all 70 million Koreanshappy and how each side can respect each other and open thedoor to unification.

"If it is to discuss these issues, then I believe the twoleaders should meet whenever necessary and talk openly, with anopen mind."

There was no North Korean representative at Lee'sinauguration and its state media has made no direct mention ofthe election of Lee who has made clear he thinks the outgoinggovernment was too soft on the isolated North.

A father of four, Lee's rags-to-riches life story made itto two hit TV dramas about business heroes who raised thecountry out of the ashes of the 1950-53 Korean War.

He has had a bumpy ride since winning the election,clashing early on with one of the main labour unions andteacher groups.

He has also had settle for a compromise over his proposedcabinet after a fierce challenge from liberal MPs who stilldominate parliament.

That is a situation Lee hopes will change in the Aprilparliamentary election when his conservative party is tipped towin a majority that will give him the political muscle to pushthrough new policy.

(Editing by Keiron Henderson and Jeremy Laurence)