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Why Lee Jae-myung's pledge to revitalize Busan rattles maritime sector
Members of the Busan Labor Forum, a civic group in the city, hold leaflets welcoming Democratic Party of Korea presidential contender Rep. Lee Jae-myung's pledge to relocate the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan from Sejong, during a press conference at Busan Metropolitan City Council, Monday. Courtesy of Busan Labor Forum
By Park Jae-hyuk
Incheon criticizes liberal candidate's plan to move oceans ministry
Controversy is mounting over liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presidential contender Rep. Lee Jae-myung's proposal to relocate the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries from Sejong to Busan.
The strongest backlash came from the lawmaker's own constituency in Incheon.
Two days after Lee announced the pledge Friday as part of his broader plan to revitalize Korea's southeastern industrial complex, civic groups and businesses in the western port city of Incheon urged him to reconsider, claiming that the plan could exacerbate regional tensions.
Citing the distance between Busan and other major ports, they voiced concerns that relocating the ministry could lead to neglect of cities like Incheon and Gwangyang.
"Korea has ports in Gwangyang, Incheon and various other cities, each playing important roles," the Incheon Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice said in a statement. "We don't understand why all maritime-related public institutions must be concentrated in Busan."
Lee's promise to also attract the headquarters and R&D centers of large domestic and international shipping and logistics firms to Busan fueled further concerns over a potential internal feud in HMM, Korea's largest container shipping company.
Although HMM's labor union voiced support for moving the headquarters to Busan, more than 900 employees working at its Seoul headquarters opposed the idea.
Industry observers expect Lee's election win to give momentum to the relocation push, beginning with the oceans ministry.
"The ministry's move will likely trigger relocations of maritime-related public institutions and major logistics company headquarters," the Busan Labor Forum, a local civic group, said in a statement.
Busan Metropolitan City welcomed Lee's vision in principle.
However, the city, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), emphasized that the Korea Development Bank's (KDB) relocation to Busan is a more pressing priority.
"Relocating the oceans ministry alone isn't enough to make Busan a maritime capital," Deputy Mayor Lee Jun-seung said Monday.
PPP lawmakers representing Busan electorates also downplayed Lee's pledge, calling it a hollow promise aimed at appealing to local voters.
Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung declined to comment on the relocation plan during Monday's press conference on the upcoming Our Ocean Conference and the APEC Ocean-related Ministerial Meeting, both scheduled for next week in Busan.
However, ministry officials are reportedly uneasy about the proposal to relocate their workplaces due to possible family separation.