By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter

The Lee Myung-bak government is desperate to make its plans to develop Sejong City as an industrial center look convincing, and has been pressing major corporations to show interest.

Now, all the poking and clamoring seem to have affected the business community, with some companies, albeit reluctantly, saying that they could consider moving some of their business units to central South Chungcheong Province.

After managing a meeting between Prime Minister Chung Un-chan and business leaders last week, the Federation of Korea Industries (FKI), the country's most influential business lobby, said it would survey its member companies on their interest to invest in Sejong City.

FKI officials denied that the group was willing to act as a ``mediator'' between companies and the government in order to get the Sejong City plan on track, but claimed there was a need to identify the different demands from the companies over the possible cost of relocating their business units or establishing new ones.

The companies will be able to voice their views on what they believe the government should provide as preconditions and incentives for investing in Sejong City, the FKI official said.

``This has nothing to do with the meeting with Chung, as the survey was planned ahead of Tuesday's meeting. There is a need to know where the companies stand on issues related to Sejong City,'' he said.

In the meeting with the business tycoons, Chung promised significant financial incentives to companies establishing business units in Sejong City.

As of now, no major Korean company has announced plans to invest in Sejong City. Samsung Electronics, the world's largest consumer electronics maker and the kingpin of Korea Inc., said it had received no official request from the government to establish a presence in Sejong City, although there have been rumors that the company could move some of its manufacturing facilities to the industrial town.

After participating in the meeting with Prime Minister Chung, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group Chairman Chung Mong-koo told reporters that the country's biggest carmaker is ``positively considering'' becoming one of the first conglomerates to commit to Sejong City

Although LG Group has yet to announce plans to invest in Sejong City, some industry watchers consider LG Life Science as a possible relocation candidate. POSCO and SK Group said they could also consider investing in Sejong City if they receive an acceptable government proposal.

Even the Doosan Group seems to be warming up to the idea, despite previous comments by Chairman Park Yong-hyun that the plans to invest in Sejong City would ``never be considered.''

Doosan officials had softer words after Park met Prime Minister Chung last week, saying that the company could ``carefully consider'' investing in Sejong City.

thkim@koreatimes.co.kr