[EDITORIALS]Absurdities abounding

President Roh Moo-hyun’s remark Thursday in Daejeon on the relocation of the nation’s capital is apt to generate concern. A close reading of the remark will convince readers that what the president has in mind is not a simple relocation of government offices but a shift of the nation’s political center.
The president’s purpose in moving the capital is not to facilitate the advertised “localization” and “distribution of power” but to replace the current ruling class with a new one. The “relocation of the administrative capital” then has merely been an expression in disguise used to suppress opposition to that plan.
“The relocation of the capital symbolizes the shift to a new era and a new ruling class,” Mr. Roh said, adding, “The relocation of the capital is necessary to have a place where a new ruling class can administer the nation free from the influence of the old one.”
Such a remark carries the danger of denying the legitimacy and continuity of the Republic of Korea’s government. Mr. Roh’s view is more commonly heard from the leaders of uprisings and revolutions in monarchical times.
Are we living in the Goryeo or Joseon dynasties?
What does he mean by “the new ruling class”? They are the figures currently governing this nation, with Mr. Roh at the center. How can a project of moving the capital, which requires hundreds of trillions of won, be justified just for the purpose of allowing the new elite to take root in new ground? What does the new ruling class intend to do after this move? Who do they think they will rule? All these ideas are absurd.
Stressing the justification for moving the capital, Mr. Roh said, “The people chose such a change.” This is just a self-seeking interpretation. It is extremely dangerous for him to say that just because he won the presidency, the people supported all his election pledges. An issue that will determine our nation’s future and destiny must be spelled out and win a national consensus.
As Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan pointed out, we must look into our nation’s future after unification when thinking about moving our nation’s capital. Political goals, such as a legislative election victory and a change of ruling class, must never be the reason behind such a move.