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Prime minister fleshes out more details of new city
November 23, 2009
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| Prime Minister Chung Un-chan told leaders of small and medium-sized companies on Saturday that the Sejong City the Lee Myung-bak administration plans to build in the South Chungcheong area should have a science and education complex. Chung has continuously reiterated the need to transform the area into a center for industries, science and research rather than the former-President Roh Moo-hyun administration’s original plan to create an administrative capital. In meetings with government officials, politicians and businessmen regarding Sejong City, Chung stressed the city should become a mecca of science and education that attracts corporate investment and also an economic city that creates jobs. To realize these goals, the government intends to build a particle accelerator there, which is considered a crucial tool to enhance Korea’s fundamental science technology because the accelerator will allow scientists to determine properties of subatomic particles. The plan is modeled after Switzerland’s CERN, the world’s most powerful particle accelerator. A plan to invite universities to open campuses, possibly one by Seoul National University, is also being discussed in the university community. Seoul National University formed a task force to discuss the opening of a second campus in Sejong City. An official on the SNU task force said “the university has decided to set up either a life science or integrated science engineering research center in Sejong City.” He added that “it’s still unclear whether the university will establish a university-run hospital or relocate several other science and business departments to the region.” Although it is unlikely that the Lee administration will follow former-President Roh’s plan to construct an administrative hub in South Chungcheong by moving nine government ministries, two agencies and two smaller units there, some speculate that the government may relocate a few government ministries to the area to win support of South Chungcheong residents and opposition lawmakers who strongly oppose the new plan. A government official said the final plan on Sejong City is to be announced in mid December. The government plans to finish revising a law concerning Sejong by February 2010 after persuading the people and politicians. Meanwhile, the National Assembly budget committee suggested the government slash next year’s budget earmarked for Sejong City after this year’s expenditure for the project reached only 32.4 percent of what was planned. By Baek Il-hyun, Kim Mi-ju [mijukim@joongang.co.kr] |
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