YONHAP NEWS

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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