Senior statesmen call Sejong City project ‘ruinous’
Published: 20 Oct. 2009, 21:54
Elder statesmen applaud after they end a joint press conference calling on the government and legislature to nullify the Sejong City project, at the Korea Press Center on Taepyeongno, central Seoul, yesterday. [NEWSIS]
Some experts said the impact of the joint statement will be noticeable as many of those who signed support the political views of the ruling Grand National Party. Among the 93 elder statesmen, seven are former prime ministers and one is the former president of the Korean Bar Association.
Calling the Sejong City project “ruinous to the country” in a press conference held at the Korea Press Center on Taepyeongno, central Seoul, the elder statesmen argued that the relocation project of some central government agencies would create a highly inefficient environment for administrative work and the government should give up relocating to the Chungcheong region, which is 120 kilometers (74.6 miles) away from Seoul.
“If [the government] moves the majority of government administration offices - nine ministries, two agencies and two smaller units - to Sejong City, it will take extra commuting hours when government officials in Sejong City need to report matters to the National Assembly,” the joint statement read.
“A matter of great urgency such as national security will be slowed down and it will be difficult to adopt countermeasures if there is an emergency,” the statement continued.
The group said the plan hurts the country’s potential growth factors by isolating citizens and businesses and thus the plan must be revised.
“It will be better to develop Sejong City into an advanced city which incorporates green growth, science, businesses, culture, education, culture, tourism, information and medical technology. We sincerely hope that the Chungcheong residents will consider this idea,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, Lee Hoi-chang, the former presidential candidate who ran against President Lee and the head of the Liberty Forward Party based in Chungcheong, suggested a televised debate with President Lee over the project.
“I am against either nullifying or revising the Sejong City plan,” Lee Hoi-chang said in an emergency legislators’ meeting at the National Assembly yesterday. “We will fight to the end if the government attempts to break trust and the law-binding spirit by revising the original Sejong City plan.”
By Kim Mi-ju [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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