Park gives total support to Sejong relocation project

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Park gives total support to Sejong relocation project

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Rep. Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the ruling Grand National Party, yesterday reiterated her long-held stance that the Sejong administrative unit relocation project should proceed as planned.

“If such a huge promise collapses, what other promises can the Grand National Party make to the Korean people? It’s a matter of the party’s existence,” she said in a meeting with reporters. She added that scrapping the plan is “nonsense,” and if necessary, more options should be added to the original layout of the city development project.

Under the original plan for the Sejong project, launched in 2005, nine ministries, two departments and two bureaus would be relocated from other areas to Yeongi County and Gongju in South Chungcheong.

Park, as leader of the GNP, the main opposition party in 2005, passed a bill on the relocation plan based on an agreement with the Democratic Party, which was ruling at the time.

Her remarks could send a ripple across her party since the GNP is bracing to modify the original plan that was initiated by former President Roh Moo-hyun. The GNP’s move gained further momentum after Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, former president of Seoul National University, indicated his opposition to pushing ahead with the original agenda.

Instead of relocating government ministries, Chung proposed that the focus should be moved to scientific and medical research, pointing out that the modification would require a legal change.

However, if Park remains a staunch supporter of the Sejong plan, it may be difficult to revise the law since some 60 lawmakers inside the 167-seat GNP are close followers of their former leader.

“[The Sejong project] has been discussed countless times and it was decided after the ruling and opposition parties agreed. In every election, politicians rushed to keep the promise [about the plan],” she said, showing skepticism toward any modification to the original plan.

Regarding her remarks, a high-ranking official with the Prime Minister’s Office said, “It has been widely acknowledged that this was her position.”

Given that the [modification to the Sejong project] has already become a national agenda, the Prime Minister’s Office has no choice but to look for a desirable alternative, without being affected by such remarks.”

Another official with the office said, “Park will change her mind once the government has collected opinions from the general public and academia.”


By Kim Jung-ha, Seo Ji-eun [spring@joongang.co.kr]
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