» Prime Minister Chung Un-chan announces that the Lee administration plans to create an alternative to the Sejong City Development Plan by next Jan. during a press conference at the briefing room in the Government Complex Building located in Seoul’s Sejongno neighborhood, Nov. 4.

President Lee Myung-bak has reportedly ordered Prime Minister Chung Un-chan to create an alternative to the Sejong City Development Plan by January. According to the Lee Dong-kwan, spokesman for the Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House), President Lee also told Prime Minister Chung that the alternative plan should in fact be superior to the original Sejong City plan when discussing the timetable for the alternate Sejong City plan at the Cheong Wa Dae.

In response, Prime Minister Chung announced that the government plans to create a joint committee consisting of government officials and other individuals by Nov. 13.

President Lee reportedly suggested three criteria to be used in crafting an alternative to the Sejong City Development Plan, including increasing the nation’s competitive power, consideration of the nation’s future following reunification with North Korea, and consideration of development at the site reserved for Sejeong City’s construction.

This announcement can be interpreted to mean that the Lee administration has effectively annulled the Sejong City Development Plan, through which approximately half of the government ministries would move into the city, and officially announced its plans to create a new city through the concept of promoting science, business and education.

Prime Minister Chung announced, “We will put together a final alternative plan to Sejong City by next January, because the current Sejong City Development Plan is inadequate for developing a self-sufficient city supporting a population of 500 thousand residents.”

Chung cited several problems with original plan including the lack of land needed for self-sufficiency, which currently consists of only six to seven percent of the land, administrative inefficiency and the possible removal of the administration city in the event of achieving reunification with North Korea.

Opposition parties, however, have shown strong opposition to altering the original plans. Woo Sang-ho, the spokesman of the opposition Democratic Party (DP) issued a statement saying, “No part of the Prime Minister’s remarks are praiseworthy.” Woo continued, “We will do our best to continue our support for maintaining the original plan.” Kim Chang-soo, lawmaker of the Liberty Forward Party (LFP) said, “This has confirmed that President Lee and Prime Minister Chung have not given careful thought and consideration to the Sejong City Development Plan.” Kim added, “LFP will refuse to engage in any discussion regarding alternatives to the original Sejong City Development Plan.”

Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) confirmed her support for the original Sejong City Development Plan, by saying, “I have already said what I want to say about this issue.”

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