S. Korean President Pledges Start of ‘New Era of Democracy’

Declaring that his administration will “open a new era of democracy under civilian government,” President-elect Kim Young Sam took office today, urging South Koreans to restore their evaporating industriousness, stop an erosion of their values and recapture their self-confidence.

“We have had to wait for this moment for 30 long years,” said Kim, a longtime foe of the former generals who had run the nation since 1961.

Two of them--authoritarian Chun Doo Hwan and outgoing reformist Roh Tae Woo--watched as Kim spoke. Chun purged Kim while serving between 1980 and 1988, but Roh persuaded Kim to leave his decades-long career as a leader of the opposition and join forces with him in 1990.

“The government that serves you from today will be a different kind of government,” Kim declared. “Politics should not serve the politicians; rather . . . politics must address our citizens’ grievances.”

Speaking both to a crowd of 30,000 on the lawn of the National Assembly and on national television, Kim pledged to root out corruption, revitalize the economy and enhance “national discipline.”

Kim--who will serve a single, constitutionally limited five-year term--pledged to “do away with unwarranted controls” to restore South Korea’s economic vitality.