Lee Pledges Balanced Regional Growth

By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter

President Lee Myung-bak said Friday that the governing camp would push planned regional development projects regardless of its move to transform Sejong City in South Chungcheong Province into a multifunctional industrial city.

He downplayed concerns that the revision would discourage firms from making investments in other industrial cities, dampening efforts to promote balanced national development.

``Some people irresponsibly say that the government will pay little attention to other regions. That is not true,'' Lee said during a groundbreaking ceremony for the 182-kilometer-long railroad section for high-speed trains between Osong in North Chungcheong Province and Gwangju.

The ceremony was held at the Gwangju-Songjeong Station, the last stop of the section. Construction of a 48-kilometer-long extended line linking the station to the southern port city of Mokpo will also begin next year.

The Honam Line between Osong and Gwangju was originally scheduled to be completed in 2015, but the government decided to complete the project in 2014. Honam refers to the Jeolla provinces, the political stronghold of the main opposition Democratic Party.

``I had no choice but to revise the Sejong City plan for the country's future. It is my duty, too, to complete other regional development projects,'' President Lee said.

``The construction of the Honam high-speed railway will not only help develop regional industries, but also promote balanced national growth.''

In an address to the nation last week, Lee said he would drop the administrative town project to keep government offices in Seoul and instead develop Sejong into an industrial belt.

Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said the government would consider offering tax benefits to firms seeking to relocate offices to Sejong City, but critics say the proposed tax cut discriminated against other industrial cities.

On Thursday, Governor Lee Wan-koo of South Chungcheong Province tendered his resignation in protest of the governing camp's decision to scrap the administrative town project. Civic groups in the provinces threatened to hold joint anti-government rallies.

In the face of worsening public sentiment, the governing Grand National Party (GNP) called on Prime Minister Chung to take ample time to finalize alternative development plans for Sejong.

Chung earlier said the government would come up with a finalized plan late this month.

``It is not a good idea to decide on the master plan so soon,'' GNP floor-leader Rep. Ahn Sang-soo said during a policy coordination meeting Friday. ``We will ask the government to delay the date of the announcement so that it can have more time to create a social consensus on the issue.''

Some GNP lawmakers called on the party to drop the revision plan.

GNP spokeswoman Rep. Cho Yoon-sun said Wednesday that the party cannot push for the revision if it is not backed by people in Chungcheong.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr

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