The Sejong City Development Plan has joined the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project in a political black hole. The way these two issues progress will serve as a measuring stick for gauging the merits and demerits of the Lee Myung-bak administration as a whole. Unlike the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, where the battle lines between ruling and opposition forces are drawn relatively clearly, the Sejong City issue is potentially much more volatile, as it involves a schism in the ruling party and intensifying conflict between the capital region and the rest of the country.

The proponents for modifying the Sejong City Development Plan, including President Lee, have already committed three grave sins. First, ignoring the existing Sejong City Development Plan epitomizes how the Lee administration has circumvented and violated a number of laws upon taking office. There is no small number of such cases, including its attempts to neutralize the Irregular Worker Law, the railroading of media reform legislation, and the mobilization of all manners of government organizations to oust KBS President Jeong Yeon-ju. While President Lee may emphasize that people must abide by law and order, he holds himself above the law. Reasons he has given for this includes imagining “the good of the country for the next 100 years” and “establishing a solid foundation for the country.” No matter what claims he makes about genuineness, it is arrogant of him to see himself alone as determining the future of the country. As this view combines with a political phobia, what has solidified is a form of administrative dictatorship or bureaucratic authoritarianism. We have seen more than enough of this in our country during the military dictatorship of the past.

The Sejong City Development Plan was created in 2005 through agreement between the then-ruling and oppositional parties, and a quarter of the groundwork has been laid. If this law is nullified, the Lee administration will have nothing to say in the face of the public’s distrust of any future Lee administration efforts. Even if the Sejong issue is resolved without modifications made to the original plan, the original sin of revision advocates who have harmed the basic order of democracy will remain.

The second sin that has been committed is trampling on the people’s values. Article One of the law for Sejong City development (“Special Act on Multi-Functional Administrative City in Yeongi-Gongju Area as the Follow-up Measure for a New Administrative Capital”) says the project’s objectives are “to contribute to the nation’s balanced development and competitiveness” and “to remedy the side effects caused by excessive concentration in the capital region.” It has long since been agreed that these two issues, relieving overpopulation in the capital region and achieving balanced development, are major tasks facing the nation, and after much consideration the relocation of government administrative offices is to serve as a key means to this end. Any inefficiency that may result from the separation of administrative offices is a secondary item on the agenda. Of course, it may not be possible to solve the problems caused by regional imbalance simply by constructing Sejong City, which is expected to have a population of 500,000 inhabitants. Nonetheless, if the government is determined to resolve these issues and consistently works to develop and carry out appropriate policy, there will be a synergy effect. President Lee and the ruling Grand National Party, however, have no serious analysis of these issues. They are downplaying popular sentiment in the Chungcheong region and Sejong City as if we were merely debating over whether to build a new city. They are trying to deceive the people. Supporters of Park Geun-hye within the GNP, who are opposed to modifying the Sejong City Development Plan, are to a certain extent reflecting the anger of many citizens, including those of the Gyeongsang Province, a key GNP stronghold.

The third sin is dividing the people. The policies being espoused by the administration in the areas of taxation, business, real estate, education and labor have been centered on the haves rather than the have-nots. After last year’s candlelight vigil demonstrations, ruling party figures tried to brand a large segment of the population as enemies. As if that were not enough, they are now trying to divide the country into the capital region and the non-capital region, or Seoul and the South Chungcheong region and the other provinces. Those who are trying to invalidate the Sejong City Development Plan are arguing that the capital region needs to see growth. Their determination is that the nation will prosper only when we create a “Seoul country” where everything revolves around the center of the capital region. Playing a part in this is the factional understanding that President Lee’s political security depends on having a sure foothold in the capital region.

Each of these sins being committed by proponents for modifications to the Sejong City Development Plan signifies a grave matter by itself. An even graver sin, however, would be to be conscious of them and insist on pushing ahead regardless. If the Lee administration and ruling party have any inclination at all of changing the situation, it is clear what needs to be done. First, they must frankly atone for all they have done to date. Then, they must present a certain and comprehensive solution for the problems of the capital region and the need for balanced development, and they must elicit broad-based public approval. If they insist on causing more difficulties for Sejong City development, the least they could do is then ask South Korea’s citizens what we want. We hope they do not miss their last chance to fix their mistakes.

The views presented in this column are the writer’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Hankyoreh.