Optical distortion
e nation¡¯s business leaders have called for strong leadership from the government, saying it is essential for the nation to escape the current economic crisis.Urging the government to work out far-reaching emergency measures toovercome the economic slump, the chairmen of top conglomerates diagnosed the current situation as the worst in about four decades, except for 1980 and 1998 shortly after the financial crisis. Setting aside their agreement on the present situation, the nationaleconomy has been ailing with no immediate signs of recovery in sightas proved by various data. The economic growth rate registered a humiliating 1.9 percent for the second quarter this year, the lowest since 1962 when Korea launched its first-ever programs for industrialization.