By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
Cheong Wa Dae reacted cautiously Wednesday to former governing party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye's remarks a day earlier that it was a breach of trust for the Lee Myung-bak administration to scrap a project to build an administrative complex, which had been endorsed by the National Assembly in 2005.
The response came as a factional feud is deepening in the Grand National Party (GNP) over the government's plan to transform the administrative town of Sejong City into a business hub housing conglomerates, universities and state technology institutes.
Some GNP lawmakers urged Lee and Park to sit down together and discuss ways to unite the ruling camp with opposition parties moving to form a united front to block legislation of the revised plan.
"We have firm and clear principles in this case. We will do our best to persuade opponents and seek better public understanding of what we are going to do," a presidential spokesman told reporters, asking not to be named.
"Media reports tend to focus on just one aspect of this controversy - a feud between Lee and Park - but what's clear is that they will find the best way to resolve this matter."
For the past few days, some of Lee's staunch aides, including GNP lawmaker Chung Doo-un, have strongly criticized Park for opposing the revised Sejong plan, saying she was acting like an "empress." Park's aides responded with insults of their own.
The GNP holds 169 seats in the 299-member National Assembly. More than 50 GNP lawmakers are affiliated with Park, so, without her backing, it would be virtually impossible to secure a majority of votes needed to railroad a bill. The administration plans to submit a revision bill on Sejong next month.
GNP lawmakers hope Lee and Park will meet soon to resolve the intra-party row.
The Cheong Wa Dae spokesman, refused to confirm whether a meeting was being arranged.
Media reports said the President was considering holding a press conference this week or next, to explain his position on the controversy and muster public support for the Sejong project.
The spokesman said Lee has no plan yet to meet the press over the issue.
Rep. Park said the governing party had lost public trust by failing to include the relocation of ministries in the revised plan. She said she would not alter her position, even if Chungcheong residents show support for the alternative plan.
"President Lee has taken the wrong path," Park told reporters emerging from a meeting with a visiting U.S. human rights official.
Public opinion polls showed a majority of South Koreans back the government's revised plan, but public sentiment in the Chungcheong provinces is still negative.
Some residents have staged protests in front of public offices, demanding the government scrap the revised plan and proceed with the administrative town project.