(LEAD) Parliament opens special session amid continued dispute

(ATTN: UPDATES with quotes from Assembly speaker at in para 8-9)
By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Monday opened an extraordinary
session, with rival parties expected to once again lock horns over a disputed
government plan to build a business-science hub in the country's central region.

The special February session is scheduled to last about a month and comes in
light of the government's announced plan to reverse an initiative by its
predecessor to relocate a number of key government offices to Sejong City, now
under construction in South Chungcheong Province, some 150 kilometers south of
Seoul.
Under the proposed revisions, the new city would be turned into a business and
science hub instead of an administrative town, with several leading South Korean
conglomerates already having agreed to set up operations there.
During the special parliamentary session, the ruling Grand National Party (GNP)
is expected to attempt to boost public backing of the new Sejong City plan, ahead
of its plans to submit a revision bill in March.
The National Assembly passed a special bill on the construction of Sejong City in
2005, with the then opposition GNP voting for the bill in a "political gesture"
so as not to lose the support of the neutral Chungcheong provinces. The name
Sejong comes from the Joseon Dynasty king recognized as the inventor of the
Korean alphabet.
Ahn Sang-soo, floor leader of the ruling Grand National Party, said that he plans
to use the special session to help the government create new jobs, but refrained
from mentioning the government's Sejong City plan.
"During the special session, we will put the utmost priority on creating jobs, as
job creation is the key to hardening the base of the economic livelihoods of
common people and the biggest obligation of the parliament."
Regarding the Sejong City dispute, Kim Hyung-o, the National Assembly speaker,
said that "all conflict and confrontation must be settled at the parliament."
"The Sejong City revision plan has been announced by the government and its bill
will soon be delivered to the National Assembly. Standing committees must review
the plan in a calm and sincere manner," the speaker said during a plenary session
at the Assembly.
Lee Kang-rae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP),
meanwhile, vowed to mobilize all efforts towards pushing the government to
rescind the revision plan.
"Within the session, we will work to bring an end to the unconstructive dispute
(on Sejong City)," Lee said in a meeting with his party's leadership.
The government, meanwhile, plans to submit a motion to parliament to dispatch
some 220 peacekeeping forces to earthquake-hit Haiti within the month. Seoul sent
a group of officials to Haiti last week to survey conditions in the quake-hit
nation for a possible dispatch of peacekeeping troops.
Rival parties are also expected to clash over how to reform the nation's
judiciary system, particularly following a number of what the ruling camp calls
controversial rulings by judges in politically sensitive cases in recent months.
They also agreed to hold an interpellation from Feb. 4-10 to review a variety of
government operations ranging from diplomacy and North Korea-related issues to
the economy.
odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)

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