Government shaping up 'administrative city' plan

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- A draft report has been submitted to President Lee
Myung-bak on modifying a former government-led plan to move a dozen government
ministries and agencies out of Seoul, officials said Thursday, a day after Lee
strongly signaled his opposition to the 2005 plan.

Political disputes have been escalating in the recent months over the bill to
relocate nine ministries and four government agencies to a new administrative
city now under construction at a site in South Chungcheong Province, about 160km
south of Seoul.
The incumbent Lee government made official Wednesday it will draw up an
alternative to the "Sejong city" plan, sparking objections from opposition
parties as well as Chungcheong residents.
Prime Minister Chung Un-chan has submitted a draft of the revised plan focused on
green growth and environmentally-friendly construction, officials said Thursday.
President Lee has been pushing the so-called "low carbon, green growth" policy
since his inauguration early last year, allocating an estimated 11 trillion won
(US$10 billion) annually to develop clean energy and sustainable growth engines.
The draft also includes measures to increase jobs and education opportunities in
the Chungcheong region by building branches there of top South Korean colleges
and biotechnology firms.
"Although the time limit has been set for January (to complete the alternative
plan), the government is making haste to reduce time," an official at the
presidential office said, asking for anonymity as he was not authorized to speak
to the media on the issue. "The president is prepared to speak to the public over
the issue as soon as the basic plan is drawn up."
Former President Roh Moo-hyun had initiated the project to build the new
administrative city, making it an election campaign pledge in 2002. Critics
called it a "political gesture" to garner support from the neutral Chungcheong
region.
The incumbent government, led by Prime Minister Chung who took office in
September, has been seeking to downsize the relocation, citing inefficiency and
costliness of the original plan.
The move, however, has faced immense opposition even from ruling party members
including Park Geun-hye, a former ruling party chief and President Lee's in-camp
political rival.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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