Site for the new capital to be chosen sometime next year, Roh team says

DAEJEON -- President-elect Roh Moo-hyun's transition team said yesterday that the location of the nation's new administrative capital would be determined early next year. Kim Byong-joon, director of the team's political affairs subcommittee, briefed reporters on the schedule of the planned relocation. "A special committee on relocating the administrative capital will be organized after the new administration comes into power and, if required, the committee would propose legislation governing the relocation," said Mr. Kim. "The location of the new administrative capital would be selected after some field research this year." Mr. Kim said construction will start in early 2007. Government offices would start moving into the new compound in 2010, he said.

Seong Kyoung-ryung, a member of the planning and coordination subcommittee, said the transition team would not determine the location of the new capital, anticipating real estate speculation in some Chungcheong province areas considered to have better chances of accommodating the new government complexes.

Mr. Roh, who attended the meeting, told the transition team to work to get ruling and opposition parties to back the relocation plan. He admitted that the plan was "political," and said he expects that relocating the administrative capital to the Chungcheong region could win the Millennium Democratic Party votes there in the 2004 general election. "The number of lawmakers representing the Chungcheong provinces is small, but if united they could help us on many issues," said Mr. Roh. He promised to develop the Chungcheong region, saying the support he drew from the region in the presidential election had been beyond his expectation.

Mr. Roh promised members of the MDP and Nosamo, his online fan club, that he would not name "unrighteous" persons to key government posts. "The Roh Moo-hyun administration will be led by those who yearn for a clean society," said Mr. Roh.

by Kim Sung-tak