Minister Kang Says, "Public Agencies Such as Highway Corp. to Transfer to Non-metropolitan Areas"

Construction and Transportation Minister Kang Dong-suk said on Dec. 4, “Our ministry will build an innovative city and transfer public agencies in the metropolitan areas such as Korea Highway Corporation there. The new city will be able to accommodate employees of the government agencies and their families.” He added, “A variety of privileges will be given to the city, such as establishment of educational or medical facilities, in order to maximize a synergy effect by embracing existing residents in the area.”

Minister Kang said in a gathering for ways to develop the construction industry hosted by Korean Construction Association in Jeju Grand Hotel, “In the past, when public agencies transferred, only employees moved, leaving behind their family members in Seoul. That way was to no effect.”

Regarding an alternative plan to transfer of administrative capital, he asserted, “Even though the government’s plan to relocate the capital to the middle of our country has been thwarted, a project to construct an alternative city at the level we had in mind initially will be confirmed sooner than later.”

Minister Kang also explained, “For the early implementation of our plan to establish complex cities or business-oriented cities, we will strive to build at least two or three cities of the kind in the next year, thereby approving zone designation and development plans and start construction in the latter half of 2006.”

Kwang-Hyun Kim kkh@donga.com