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  • S Korea chooses new capital site

    S Korea chooses new capital site

    South Korea has chosen a site in central South Chungchong province to house its new capital city.
    "The Yeongi-Kongju area has been selected as the site for a new capital," Prime Minister Lee Hai-chan said in a live national broadcast.

    Construction of the new capital, which has not yet been named, is due to begin in 2007 and be completed by 2030.

    The $45bn move is designed to reduce Seoul's overcrowding and economic dominance over the rest of South Korea.

    Government and administrative functions will be moved to the new city, and possibly parliament and the supreme court, although any sizable relocation is not expected to happen until 2012.

    The location of the new capital was chosen ahead of three other candidates, Eumseong/Jincheon in North Chungchong province, and Chonan and Kongju/Nonsan, both in South Chungchong province.

    "The new capital site was found to be the best among the candidate locations in terms of potential contribution to the nation's balanced regional development, ease of access and living environment," Mr Lee was quoted as saying in the Korea Times.

    Mr Lee said land purchases would begin next year on the 7,100 hectare (17,540 acre) site.

    Political issue

    President Roh Moo-hyun has made moving the capital one of the core objectives of his term in office, and it fulfils a campaign pledge he made before elections in 2002.

    He insists the move is key to the decentralisation of the country, and more balanced regional development.

    But opposition parties have called for a referendum, saying Mr Roh's plans go further than originally announced.

    The Grand National Party said in a statement that the plan should be reconsidered, and was against the will of the public.

    The relocation still faces legal obstacles, and civic groups have launched a constitutional appeal.

    But Mr Lee said that suspending the move would go against democratic principles, since it had the backing of parliament.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3554296.stm
    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

  • #2
    Wow! That's amazing... I didn't even know they were considering it!
    No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
    I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
    even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
    He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

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    • #3
      How much farther is the new site from the DMZ?

      This smells of a strategic move as much as an economic one. Seoul presented extremely difficult challenges in defending it.

      Comment


      • #4
        It's more of a parochial thing. East Asians, especially Chinese and Koreans, are extremely parochial. Historically they have more affinity to their provinces instead of their country. More often then not many of these provinces have different languages and cultures, not to mention many of the liberal politicians come from the Southern provinces, which were heavily repressed because they opposed authoritarianism.

        The current president, Roh, is a southerner, so naturally he wants to bring the loot home. Was this proposal initiated under President Kim Dae Jong? Kim Dae Jong is from the pronvince of Kwangju, which is the southernmost province in South Korea. Kwangju had always been a hotbed of the liberal (human rights and democracy) movements and it was always denied economic development as a punishment. So I guess this is just a way to address the wrongs committed in the past.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by M21Sniper
          How much farther is the new site from the DMZ?

          This smells of a strategic move as much as an economic one. Seoul presented extremely difficult challenges in defending it.
          Central South Korea.
          Attached Files
          "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

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          • #6
            2030? His opponents have a good amount of time to try to shut him down.

            Comment


            • #7
              Waste of money if you ask me.

              Here's a good analysis:
              http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/FF22Dg05.html

              President Roh's stated motive is to achieve economic parity between all the different provinces, hence relocating the capital from the north to the south will hopefully stimulate the economy in the south. But the thing is that South Korea is pretty equal compared to other industrialized countries, and the best way to boost the economy is to expand the Seoul-Inchon megalopolis, not to spend as much as $100 billion (which it doesn't have) moving.
              Last edited by Rudolphuss; 14 Aug 04,, 01:05.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by M21Sniper
                How much farther is the new site from the DMZ?

                This smells of a strategic move as much as an economic one. Seoul presented extremely difficult challenges in defending it.

                !!! agreed
                They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
                --Benjamin Franklin

                There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.--John Adams

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