Public Hearings on Capital Relocation Hearing Only “Yes, Yes, Yes ”

It has been found that government-led public hearings for the capital relocation were bent only on promoting government policies one-sidedly and failed to converge public opinions broadly.

Even though various polls showed that voices against the capital relocation outnumbered supporting voices, government-led hearings have focused in criticizing opposing opinions, taking the relocation as an established fact. There are not just few people pointing out that the hearings are a kind of mere “formality” to enforce the relocation procedures.

On Tuesday, according to the Promotion Committee of the New Administrative Capital Construction and the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, the government held 24 hearings and forums during last year. It has been found, however, that there were only two cases in which they informed the press in advance about the events.

President Roh Moo-hyun said on last Thursday in a forum discussing the Five Year Plan for Renovation and Development of Incheon, “There have been numerous debates and forums (regarding the capital relocation). However, the press overlooked them. And now the public feels as if they have neither public debates nor persuasion.”

Even when there are public hearings, they consistently focus on advertising government policies rather than incorporating public opinions.

Two hearings in the national tour of public hearings, held in Daejeon and Cheongju on Monday and Tuesday respectively after the announcement of the evaluation result of the candidate cities, also concentrated in promoting existing government policies and criticizing public opinions requesting the reexamination of the relocation plan.

Many of the panel members in the hearings, appointed by the relocation committee, persisted, “Opposing to the relocation is dividing the public opinion. The relocation should proceed.”

Lee Chun-heu, vice chairman of the Relocation Committee, explained, “There were no issues raised against the result of the candidate city evaluation. Therefore, we focused on the promotion in the hearings.”

According to many recent public polls conducted by various organizations, the majority of people are saying that “the relocation should be decided through a referendum” or “it has to be proceeded after accommodating more opinions.” Yet, the government has no plans to hold a public hearing to ask about the opinions of the capital relocation.

Choi Sang-chul, professor at Seoul National University Graduate School of Environment, criticized, “Holding public hearings before public consensus is putting the cart before the horse. Such hearings that take the capital relocation as an established fact are merely promotion events of government policies.”