Opposition intensifies fight against Sejong City revisions

SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) -- Opposition parties vowed Saturday to intensify their
struggle against a government move to reduce the number of administrative offices
relocated to a new city in the central part of the country, one day after
President Lee Myung-bak said the city would be a disaster if built as planned.

The main opposition Democratic Party was set to hold a street rally later
Saturday in South Chungcheong Province where construction for the originally
envisioned administrative city, Sejong, was under way.
The party plans to hold more rallies where other industrial and business cities
are slated to be built, according to party officials.
Sejong City was originally planned to house up to nine ministries and four other
government offices under a special law enacted under the former Roh Moo-hyun
administration in 2005. But the current government is moving to scrap the plan
and instead make it into a business or education hub.
The Democratic Party claims the move will negatively impact 10 other industrial
or business cities already under construction.
President Lee on Friday said the other cities will not suffer, speaking in a
nationally televised town hall meeting with some 100 political and business
experts and citizens.
The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday said the TV program may not
have been enough to ease public concern over the project, but that it was a
start.
"All the heads of government ministries and their officials will begin efforts to
persuade and convince the people as the president initiated the move," an
official told reporters, asking not to be identified.
The minor opposition Liberty Forward Party, most of whose 17 lawmakers are based
in the Chungcheong provinces, is reacting with greater anger.
The party plans to hold rallies in each and every city in South and North
Chungcheong provinces before the end of the year to campaign against the
"injustice" inflicted on the area by the president and his government, party
officials said.
All of the party's legislators earlier threatened to quit the parliament, but
party officials said they have decided to put off their resignations for now to
continue fighting the government move within the National Assembly.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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