Panel for Redevelopment-Related Disputes Due
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The government and the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) agreed Friday to establish a coordination committee to settle down redevelopment-related disputes, a party official said.
The move came as the recent clash between tenants who demanded high compensation for the forced closure and a SWAT team claimed six lives and injured more than 20 people.
Chief GNP policymaker Yim Tae-hee said, ``A third party's intervention made the clash bigger. We realized that there are few systems for troubleshooting when this kind of strife takes place.''
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP), however, denounced the move, saying it seemingly aims at averting public criticism toward the government's crackdown.
The coordination committee, if created, will offer an opportunity to union members, builders and experts to negotiate compensation, among others.
If they fail to reach an agreement, the committee would make a recommendation which the three sides should abide by.
To establish the panel, the GNP is seeking revisions of the law governing redevelopment and ``new town project," the government-led urbanization plan.
The ruling camp also promised to complement protection measures for tenants.
One of contemplated measures is to oblige building or land owners in redeveloping areas to deposit a certain amount of money and municipal governments to compensate tenets with financial gains from the deposit.
The GNP official said his party is considering offering compensations per head when a family is forced to leave their house due to redevelopment.
The ruling camp will soon form a task force to study improvement of redevelopment plans. The team will consist of GNP officials, government officials, scholars and members of civic groups.
Yet, the DP criticized the measures, claiming the government and the GNP are trying to just water things down.
``It is doubtful why the ruling camp, which blamed the dead rioters for causing this racket, is presenting protective measures,'' DP spokesman Choi Jae-sung said. ``It is total gibberish like a promise to improve a funeral system before collecting a corpse.''
The prosecution tentatively concluded that Molotov cocktails thrown by protesters caused the blaze in Tuesday's standoff between former tenets occupying a four-story building and police.
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief Kim Seok-ki has been under pressure to resign over the deaths since he is said to have ordered the eviction operation.
Kim was nominated commissioner general of the National Police Agency a day before the tragedy.
Cheong Wa Dae said it will make a decision whether or not to withdraw his nomination after Seollal or the Lunar New Year holiday.
Opposition parties called for a parliamentary probe into the incident but GNP floor leader Hong Joong-pyo rejected the demand.
``The case is under investigation by the prosecution and would be put on trial soon. But it is not a subject of parliamentary investigation,'' Hong said.