Speaker advises Indonesians on moving a capital

Diplomacy

Published: 21 Mar. 2022, 16:20 Updated: 21 Mar. 2022, 19:06

Speaker advises Indonesians on moving a capital

Speakers of parliaments of 31 countries and other heads of parliaments and governments attend the opening ceremony of the 144th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Bali, Indonesia, on Sunday, including Korea's National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug, far left in second row, and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, fourth from left in first row. [OFFICE OF SPEAKER OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF KOREA]

Korea’s experience in moving its administrative capital from Seoul to Sejong can be studied by Indonesia as it attempts something similar, said National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug in a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Sunday.

“Korea’s decision to relocate its administrative capital was based on the rationale to reduce the population density in the capital and to drive balanced national growth,” Park told Widodo during their meeting at the Bali International Convention Center on Sunday, according to the speaker’s office. “We are keen to share our experiences with Indonesia, as it plans to move its capital.”

Park is in Indonesia through Tuesday, where he will attend the 144th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Bali before visiting Malaysia to meet with its speaker of the house.

He met with Widodo at the convention center on Sunday following the opening ceremony of the IPU Assembly. According to the speaker’s office, Park was the only foreign speaker among those partaking in the Assembly to have a separate meeting with the Indonesian president.

Widodo told Park that he’d like to visit Sejong one day, and that in the meantime he will send an envoy to Korea to learn from its experience, said the speaker’s office.

Indonesia passed a law in January to relocate its administrative capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan, for reasons including overpopulation, environmental pollution and concentration of economic activities in Jakarta. The relocation was projected to take 15 to 20 years.

Korea moved its administrative capital to Sejong, formerly areas under the jurisdiction of Yeongi County and Gongju in South Chungcheong, from 2002 to 2012. The idea was first raised during the Roh Moo-hyun administration.

While dozens of ministries have moved to Sejong, the Blue House, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministry remain in central Seoul.

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol pledged during his campaign to open a second Blue House office in Sejong to continue to building Sejong as Korea’s administrative capital.

During the meeting, Park also thanked Widodo for Indonesia’s supplying of urea during Korea's shortage at the end of last year.

Korea and Indonesia signed an agreement in December that will allow the country to import 10,000 tons of urea per month for the next three years.

Park is visiting Malaysia from Wednesday. Malaysia is currently operating Putrajaya as its administrative capital, an example that the Korean government has benchmarked for further developing Sejong.

Park’s delegation included Democratic Party Rep. Kang Jun-hyeon and People Power Party Rep. Choi Seung-jae. The delegation will return on Saturday.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]