Roh: Opposition to Capital Relocation Is Politically Motivated

President Roh Moo-hyun commented on Thursday about the opposition to the government’s plan for capital relocation, saying, “I consider it as a campaign to discredit or oust the President.”

President Roh mentioned during a debate on “A Development Plan of the Incheon Area for the Next Five Years,” held in the Technopark Venture Building located in Incheon, that “the current anti-relocation movements are politically motivated.”

President Roh continued, “If one policy is ceased, the drive behind government policy collapses. If a policy, even enacted by the National Assembly, is discontinued, how can the people trust the government, and how can the government drive other policies thereafter? A lame duck government cannot promote the policies of balanced regional development and a business and financial hub in Northeast Asia.”

Additionally, President Roh argued, “The current public opinion in opposition to the relocation of the administrative capital has been formed and led by the major daily newspapers, and they own gigantic buildings both in the center of Seoul and around the Central Government Complex. The power concentration in metropolitan areas is combined with great vested interests.”

Moreover, President Roh criticized the press, saying, “The press did not deal with the matter properly and paid little attention to the matter during many of its deliberations. Nonetheless, the press now contends that the plan lacks sufficient agreement and deliberation. However, I believe that it is their participation that is lacking rather than deliberation, because the press did not pay attention to the matter then.”

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com