elect `Chungcheong Will Become Science Hub
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Frontrunner candidate Lee Myung-bak pledged Wednesday to transform the Chungcheong province into an international hub of science technology and business.
Presenting his vision for local development, the Grand National Party (GNP) nominee tried to quell residents' worries that his winning the December election may pose a threat to the ongoing multifunctional administrative city project in the Yongi-Gongju area.
Previously, Lee opposed the government's plan to relocate the capital city out of Seoul when he was serving as mayor of the capital.
``I did oppose the capital city relocation project. The elements of the project changed, so did the political landscape. Now I have no good reason to oppose the project any longer,'' Lee said.
The plan to relocate the capital city to the Chungcheong region was one of the core campaign pledges of incumbent President Roh Moo-hyun when he was running for the presidency in the 2002 election.
Political observers said the plan was a combined result of political consideration to win the hearts and minds of local residents in the campaign season and the negative fallout of population density in and around Seoul.
Previous elections have seen the Chungcheong provinces hold the casting vote.
The residents in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province account for 48.3 percent of the population of this country
The figure in population density of the areas surrounding Seoul is much higher than other major foreign capitals such as Paris (19 percent), London (26 percent) and Tokyo (27.2 percent).
Local think tanks project the population density in and around Seoul area would grow up to 50 percent in near future.
In the 2002 election, GNP lawmakers accused Roh of political consideration and called him a populist.
Since Roh took office in early 2003, he has pushed the plan through despite severe resistance from the opposition party.
The plan won approval from lawmakers after several elements were altered and building the multifunctional administrative city is part of a key change in the plan.
Lee said the government plan is shortsighted and could not make the local economy prosper with the current development plan.
The former CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction said he would designate the region as a science technology and business complex by including neighboring Osong Bio-Health Science Technopolis and Ochang Scientific Industrial Complex in it.
He pledged to build a so-called pan-west coast industry belt in the region.