Conservatives praise president for Sejong change
Published: 02 Dec. 2009, 22:50
A group of seven former prime ministers and other conservative social leaders yesterday gathered in central Seoul to support the government’s plan to redraw the blueprint of the Sejong City project.
“We think it is fortunate that the Lee Myung-bak administration opposes splitting the capital,” said the group. “If President Lee accepted the populist decision [by the former administration] to shun criticism from the public, the country would have fallen into a truly catastrophic crisis.”
The group with some 1,500 members was formed last month. Members of the group called “Meeting of citizens for a better Sejong, not for a capital city division” include former prime ministers Nam Duck-woo, Kang Young-hoon, Chung Won-shik and Lee Han-dong, as well as religious leaders such as Soh Kyung-suk, a Protestant minister and Cho Yong-gi, senior minister of Yoido Full Gospel Church. Former Defense Minister Lee Sang-hoon and Lee Sae-joong, former head of the Korean Bar Association, also belong to the group.
“Controversy surrounding the Sejong issue is still deadlocked, while regionalism, political maneuvering and agitation are rampant,” they said. “If the decision to split the capital city, which was spurred by political populism, is put into action, we have no choice but to fear the nation will go bust.”
Aimed at the Democratic Party, which insists the government proceed with the original plan for Sejong, the activists said the issue is “not to be considered as part of an anti-Lee Myung-bak affair, but to be seen from the perspective of how to run national affairs should the party regain its position as a ruling party [in the future].”
Group members also had words for residents of the Chungcheong provinces. They are not supposed to stick to the idea of capital relocation for the sake of their own interest. “We hope that [Chungcheong citizens] are no longer swayed by some politicians’ instigation,” they said.
Under the original blueprint for developing a new city in South Chung-cheong, nine ministries and other government agencies were to be moved into the region. The project was previously set up under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Opposition parties as well as Chungcheong residents are protesting the incumbent government’s actions.
By Seo Ji-eun [[email protected]]
“We think it is fortunate that the Lee Myung-bak administration opposes splitting the capital,” said the group. “If President Lee accepted the populist decision [by the former administration] to shun criticism from the public, the country would have fallen into a truly catastrophic crisis.”
The group with some 1,500 members was formed last month. Members of the group called “Meeting of citizens for a better Sejong, not for a capital city division” include former prime ministers Nam Duck-woo, Kang Young-hoon, Chung Won-shik and Lee Han-dong, as well as religious leaders such as Soh Kyung-suk, a Protestant minister and Cho Yong-gi, senior minister of Yoido Full Gospel Church. Former Defense Minister Lee Sang-hoon and Lee Sae-joong, former head of the Korean Bar Association, also belong to the group.
“Controversy surrounding the Sejong issue is still deadlocked, while regionalism, political maneuvering and agitation are rampant,” they said. “If the decision to split the capital city, which was spurred by political populism, is put into action, we have no choice but to fear the nation will go bust.”
Aimed at the Democratic Party, which insists the government proceed with the original plan for Sejong, the activists said the issue is “not to be considered as part of an anti-Lee Myung-bak affair, but to be seen from the perspective of how to run national affairs should the party regain its position as a ruling party [in the future].”
Group members also had words for residents of the Chungcheong provinces. They are not supposed to stick to the idea of capital relocation for the sake of their own interest. “We hope that [Chungcheong citizens] are no longer swayed by some politicians’ instigation,” they said.
Under the original blueprint for developing a new city in South Chung-cheong, nine ministries and other government agencies were to be moved into the region. The project was previously set up under the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Opposition parties as well as Chungcheong residents are protesting the incumbent government’s actions.
By Seo Ji-eun [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)