YONHAP NEWS

Lee asks ruling party to back revision of Sejong City plan

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak on Monday urged his ruling Grand National Party (GNP) to show its leadership on a variety of issues dividing the nation, renewing his call to change, or improve, plans for a new administrative city under construction in the central region of the country.

   Lee said such a division will seriously undermine the country's overall competitiveness while all other countries in the world are struggling to move forward.

   "The global economy is still shaky. The people, especially the working class, have not yet come out of the crisis," the president said in a breakfast meeting with top leaders of the ruling party, including party chief Rep. Chung Mong-joon.

   "South Korea is attracting keen attention because it is leading in post-crisis global economy. Now is the time for us to reestablish the basis of our nation and the ruling party must support such efforts," Lee added.

   Monday's meeting came two days after the president urged a quick solution to conflict over the planned administrative city, Sejong, in South Chungcheong Province, claiming the city will be a disaster if built as planned.

   Lee said the government will soon propose alternative plans for Sejong after close consultations with the GNP.

   "I wish the party will support the new plan as one," he told the meeting.

   The city was earlier set to house up to nine government ministries and four agencies under a special law enacted under the former Roh Moo-hyun administration in 2005.

   The law was also endorsed by the then main opposition GNP at the time, but the Lee administration has insisted since its inauguration early last year that a division of government offices will significantly undermine the government's efficiency while adding to its costs.

   Rep. Park Geun-hye, one of the most prominent figures in South Korean politics and leader of the largest minority group in the GNP, however, has expressed opposition to any changes or reduction of Sejong City plans.

   President Lee and Park are expected to meet Tuesday on the sidelines of a Korea-Hungary summit. Park visited the European nation in August as a special presidential envoy.

   Lee also asked the ruling party to support government efforts to prepare for a G-20 summit to be held here next year.

   "The world's 400 largest businesses will come to take part in the G-20 summit. They will be gathered here to discuss the global economy. There is much work for the ruling party," he said.

   bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)