Kim Wan-joo
North Jeolla Province Governor |
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
Political opponents sharing the same goal often make the strategic decision to work together, something evident in the history of Korean politics.
The latest case involves North Jeolla Province Governor Kim Wan-joo, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), who sent a letter of gratitude to President Lee Myung-bak for the government's project to build a city on the Saemangeum reclaimed site in the province.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, Friday, the governor, known as a close aide to DP lawmaker Chung Dong-young, who competed against Lee in the 2007 presidential election, expressed appreciation for the President's efforts to make the project a success.
In the four-page letter, delivered to presidential chief of staff Chung Chung-kil, Kim wrote, ``I offer a big bow to you on behalf of 2 million people in North Jeolla, in appreciation of your determination to accelerate the Saemangeum project.
``All people living in the province feel the warmth in your heart. The government was able to get the project on track because of you. You gave us hope,'' the governor added.
Comparing Saemangeum to a business complex in Pudong, Shanghai, Kim asked Lee to consider building a harbor and an airport in the reclaimed land to turn it into a business hub for international firms.
As a presidential candidate, Lee visited North Jeolla in September 2009 and pledged his full support for the successful development of Saemangeum in a bid to drum up support from the province, a traditional stronghold for the DP. At the time, Kim strongly protested the Grand National Party's ``lack of cooperation'' and asked him to persuade the party to support the project.
Late last month, the administration approved a comprehensive plan to turn the tidal flats into an industrial city resembling Venice, Italy or Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The envisioned city will boast state-of-the-art buildings and tourism facilities.
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