Park Reiterates Opposition to New Sejong Plan

By Kim Jae-won

Staff Reporter

Rep. Park Geun-hye, former chairwoman of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), reiterated her opposition to the administration’s revision of the Sejong City project Thursday.

Talking to the press during a New Year meeting organized by a provincial newspaper at the Press Center in downtown Seoul, she said, "I oppose the new plan for Sejong City, which deviates from the original plan.’’

Park, the daughter of late President Park Chung-hee, made clear that she would vote against the new plan even if the GNP approves it.

She insisted on keeping to the original plan to create an administrative town in South Chungcheong Province, saying, "Strictly speaking, the new plan is to reverse the original plan. I will oppose this plan even if the party agrees to accept it.’’

The 57-year-old politician stressed the importance of trust during her address at the meeting.

"I am sure Korea can be an advanced country if citizens can trust each other and cooperate.’’

In an effort to achieve nationwide balanced development, the previous Roh Moo-hyun government pushed for the relocation of 13 government agencies from Seoul and Gwacheon to the new city to be created in the Yeonggi-Gongju area by 2014.

However, President Lee Myung-bak pledged to revise the Sejong project in a nationally televised address in November and seek an alternative plan, calling the administrative town project a "wrong’’ policy.

shosta@koreatimes.co.kr