Ruling Party Reps. to Submit Revision to Sejong City Law

Members of the ruling Grand National Party today will suggest a revision to the law on the construction of Sejong City to build a “green, advanced and comprehensive city” instead of “administration-centered comprehensive city.

Grand National Party Rep. Lim Dong-gyu, who suggested the bill on behalf of the members, said yesterday, “After former Grand National Party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye mentioned Sejong City, certain party members have differing views. But I decided to suggest the revised bill to create an opportunity to reconsider issues on Sejong City at the National Assembly.”

Sejong City is the name of a proposed administrative city in South Chungcheong Province where many government offices and agencies will be relocated.

Park had said a few days ago, “The original plan for the Sejong City project is related to the party’s existence.”

Lim denied this, however, saying, “The country’s existence is far more important than that of the Grand National Party and division of capital is a matter of national concern.”

Ten ruling party members including Shim Jae-cheol, chairman of the parliamentary special committee on budgets and accounts, took part in pushing for the revised bill.

The key parts of the bill are changing the name of the city from “administration-centered comprehensive city” to “green, advanced and comprehensive city”; changing the city’s purpose from “balanced national development” to “promoting green growth and strengthening national competitiveness”; deleting Article 16 of the Sejong city law on the relocation of government agencies there.

kimkihy@donga.com