Lee seeks to broaden support for revised Sejong City plan

SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak was to meet the heads of the
nation's metropolitan areas and provinces later Tuesday in a bid to drum up
public support for his decision to abandon a national project to build an
administrative city in the center of the country, his office said.

The government announced Monday that it would replace the so-called Sejong City
project with a new plan to create a "science and business" hub in the area, about
150 kilometers south of Seoul. Under the new blueprint, private firms, colleges
and research institutes moving into the envisioned city will be granted cheap
land, tax benefits, and other subsidies.
Lee's decision triggered a wave of controversy, as residents in the central
province of Chungcheong, where Sejong City is located, as well as opposition
parties and some ruling party members are staunchly opposed to the revision of
the administrative town project, which was initiated by the preceding
administration to promote balanced national growth.
People in other regions of the country also expressed concern about the
possibility of "reverse discrimination," saying that massive incentives offered
by the government may prompt companies and universities to rush into Sejong City,
dealing a serious blow to the development of other provinces.
"In the luncheon meeting with the heads of metropolitan and provincial
governments nationwide, President Lee will explain his position on the Sejong
City issue," an official at the presidential office said.
The president will stress that the revisions are a matter of national, not
regional, interest and that there will be no reverse discrimination, he added.
The meeting will be attended by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and 14 other heads of
local governments, he said, though Park Joon-young, governor of South Jeolla
Province, will not attend as the meeting conflicts with his "personal schedule."
Sources said Park is scheduled to attend a trial the same day for alleged
violations of election law.
Meanwhile, the president reportedly plans to hold a press conference or issue a
statement later this week on the Sejong City issue.
He may also visit the Chungcheong region in the near future, according to several
newspaper reports.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)

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