By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter

President Lee Myung-bak and Chung Mong-joon, chairman of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), expressed the need to take a prudent approach toward the Sejong City project, Monday.

"The GNP should be extra cautious in dealing with the plan," President Lee said in a meeting with Chung at Cheong Wa Dae.

Chung told Lee that the GNP would launch a body to review the 22-trillion-won construction project, including the relocation of several government offices to Sejong, an administrative town being built in South Chungcheong Province, according to GNP spokesman Cho Hae-jin.

Lee Dong-kwan, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said Cheong Wa Dae is reviewing various options on the Sejong City issue and will announce its final decision at an "appropriate" time.

Opposition parties have claimed that the governing camp's amendment plan virtually means scrapping or downsizing the project, and that President Lee was behind the decision. The National Assembly approved the project in 2005 during the liberal Roh Moo-hyun administration.

"I believe the construction of Sejong City must lead to national development and provide practical benefits to people living in the central Chungcheong region," Chung said.

The GNP will play a pro-active role to ensure this happens, Chung said.

Construction of the city, located about 120 kilometers southeast of Seoul, started after an interparty agreement in March 2005.

Under the original plan, nine ministries and four agencies were to be relocated to the administrative town by 2014.

However, sources say that the Lee administration wants to downsize or modify the plan.

They say the government is mulling over making Sejong an industrial city or a self-sufficient science town.

A feud has erupted within the GNP, as former party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye, who endorsed the original plan, has demanded that the ruling camp honor its commitment to building the city.

On the results of the Oct. 28 by-elections, President Lee told Chung that the outcome was "satisfactory."

The GNP won two of five seats up for grabs in the by-elections in its home turf of Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, and in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.

"The election results were quite satisfactory for the governing party," Lee was quoted as saying.

"I think some people were worried about the GNP becoming arrogant and not doing its job properly."

The remaining three seats went to the main opposition Democratic Party.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr