Opposition to Relocation Is Defying the Presidential Election

The ruling party took the offensive regarding the capital relocation issue on July 11, saying, “The opposition to the administrative capital relocation contains disapproval to the current regime and intentions of shaking down this government.”

Kim Byung-jun, the policy director to the President, held a press conference at Chunchugwan of Cheong Wa Dae the same day and said, “They say the administrative capital relocation plan has been promoted too hastily, but the issue has been discussed for three decades since former President Park Jung-hee. Therefore, it’s they who are making ‘hasty opposition.’” He added that “on the other side of the hasty opposition, there is disapproval to President Roh Moo-hyun and to the current regime as well as denial over the presidential election. When I see the group in the strongest opposition to the relocation, I cannot stop thinking about its link connected to the group of people who criticized President Roh as a presidential candidate and the group who agreed to his impeachment.”

Kim also said, “One person in the current opposition movement claimed that ‘we cannot not have a high-school graduate president’ during the presidential election,” adding, “They should stop crushing down on the dream [of building a new administrative capital] of the current regime, that is also a dream that the people deserve, with their hasty and rough logic, and start coming up with alternatives.”

Chun Jung-bae, the floor leader of the Uri Party, met with the press on the morning of the same day and pressured the opposition, saying, “If the Grand National Party should oppose the new administrative capital relocation plan, they have to provide a revision or repeal bill [to the New Administrative Capital Relocation Special Act Law that was passed last year].” He also added, “The real intention of the Grand National Party is to shake down the regime, and the background of its opposition is painted with regionalism as well as the protection of vested rights of the upper class in the metropolitan area.”

Kim Duk-ryong, acting representative of the GNP, said in response to Policy Director Kim’s comment, “Cheong Wa Dae’s staff officer under the president cannot possibly joke around with words when a large number of the people are in opposition,” and refuted, “The staff officer has to do all he can to provide honest counsel so that the president’s policies cannot go wrong.”

GNP’s spokesperson Hahn Sun-kyo also appealed in a commentary, saying, “President Roh and the ruling party should retreat from the emotional confrontation and immediately act on reviewing the reasonableness of the relocation plan.”

Jung-Hun Kim Yeon-Wook Jung jnghn@donga.com jyw11@donga.com