Selecting the Final Site of the Capital Relocation Must Be Deferred

The opposition Grand National Party Park leader Geun-hye insisted on August 5 that, “Relocation of the administrative capital without the support from the people should not be done. Therefore, the selection of the final site, scheduled for August 11, should be deferred.”

At the meeting of the GNP’s standing committee at the party headquarters on August 5, the GNP chairwoman Park said, “Pushing this hard without the sympathy and consent of the people will not be tolerated. To obtain the people’s consent, all measures should be reexamined.” As the chairwoman Park requested to defer the selection of the final site, it is forecasted that controversy over the capital relocation will be aroused again. The GNP floor leader Kim Duk-ryong also said, “It is time to decide on the party’s opinion and the plans for the capital relocation. Now, suspending the selection of the final location must be insisted, and the procedures of collecting opinions should take place through the Assembly.”

During the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) chairman Kim Hak-won’s visit to the headquarters, Chairwoman Park said, “The National Security Law won’t be abolished as long as I am the representative. Although there are several parts, such as the false charge, that need to be corrected, keeping up the National Security Law is my firm decision.” At their meeting, leaders of GNP and ULD decided to discuss about organizing the Third Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths after the Assembly conducts an investigation on the details of amnesty of the investigators of the Second Presidential Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths, who were previously spies.

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com