Lee says regional networking key to success of 'science belt'

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks in paras 6-9; ADDS photo)
SEOUL, May 17 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Tuesday the envisioned "science-business belt" of massive research complexes is for the sake of South Korea's future and interconnecting research bases is key to the success of the multi-billion dollar project.
The remark came a day after the central city of Daejeon was selected as the main base of the science belt that calls for creating world-class research institutes and facilities, including a particle accelerator, to help develop cutting-edge technologies.
Competition to host the 3.5 trillion won project (US$3.2 billion) was so intense that it has deepened regional rivalries and division.
After the selection of Daejeon's Daedeok district, which is already home to a number of major research centers, other candidate cities protested strongly, though the government said it would base some other institutes and facilities in other regions.
"The international science-business belt is to prepare for the country's future," Lee said at a Cabinet meeting, according to spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung. "The reason we named it a business belt, not a business city, is because one region cannot do it all. Networking between regions should go smoothly to make the project a success."
Later in the day, Lee traveled to Daejeon, the main science belt site, to attend a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of South Korea's top science university, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, also known as KAIST.
In a congratulatory speech, Lee said that the science belt project is an effort to develop "source technologies" that will catapult South Korea into the ranks of other advanced nations, and the complex should be attractive enough to draw not only local researchers, but also top scientists from other nations.
"Then this belt should be a 'belt of dreams' that will help us leap into the ranks of advanced, first-class nations and contribute greatly to mankind," Lee said. "With a big dream such as this, the government will spare no bold investments, though our economy has just recoved from a crisis and the world economy still remains uncertain."
Lee also said the main base in Daejeon and other research complexes in the southeastern city of Daegu and the southwestern city of Gwangju should be interlinked "like a fishing net" and cooperate with each other.



The project had originally been one of Lee's campaign pledges in the 2007 presidential race.
Last year, it came under the spotlight after the government said it would award the project to the central province of Chungcheong, which includes Daejeon, if the province agreed to scrap another massive state project to relocate a series of government offices there from Seoul.
But the government's attempt to scrap the relocation project was later voted down in parliament, and the science belt project had since been up in the air.
jschang@yna.co.kr