He said although corruption could be addressed by the in-coming government, fighting the menace required political will and character to crack the whip where it mattered.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times in an exclusive interview in Accra yesterday, the Korean Ambassador urged the President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo to appoint men and women with integrity to serve in his administration.

He observed that corruption stalled efforts aimed at growing developing economies and denied nations of the much-needed social and economic infrastructure.
He said Ghana and Korea were contemporaries and urged the new government to take a cue from Korea’s development paradigm to boost the Ghanaian economy.
Also crucial to the development of the Ghanaian economy, the Korean Ambassador noted, was prudent management of time.

The Ambassador who recently scolded some Ghanaian officials for late attendance at a programme of national importance, said “it does not show respect to hold others hostage because of lateness to a programme”.

He said Ghana had substantial natural and human resources that could be harnessed to improve the lives of the people, adding that Korea had gone through the challenges currently confronting Ghana, but came out of the woods because of sound and crucial policies and decisions being implemented by the leadership of the country.
He said there was the need for civil society, media and religious groups to help in changing the attitudes of Ghanaians, particularly the youth to work harder to contribute to the growth of the economy.

Mr. Woon-Ki said the coming years would witness significant economic development and advised the youth to take advantage of the opportunities.
On technology, the Korean Ambassador appealed to the new government to develop a robust identification system that can prevent unscrupulous public officers and members of the public from manipulating the system.

Besides, he said such a system of identification, when implemented, would not only address corruption, but also woo investors into the country, as it would create a safe environment for doing business and provide a guarantee for checking and detecting fraud.

By Malik Sullemana