By Shim Jae-yun, Kim Rahn
Staff Reporters

President Roh Moo-hyun on Thursday strongly criticized opponents of the government’s plan to relocate the nation’s administrative capital to central Chungchong Province.

``The drive to create opposition to the capital relocation plan is tantamount to a campaign to discredit or oust the head of state,’’ Roh said during a debate session on development of the Inchon area.

Roh went on to describe the anti-relocation move as political maneuvering. Roh’s remarks came as 130 leaders from all sectors of life issued a statement opposing the hasty relocation of the capital.

The opposition parties have continued to call on the government to reconsider the capital relocation and get the people’s consensus before pushing ahead with it.

Roh complained the major conservative daily newspapers have been throwing weight behind the opposition parties.

``They, located in downtown Seoul in gigantic buildings around the Central Government Complex, are swaying public opinion in opposition to the relocation campaign,’’ he said.

The government recently picked Kongju and Yongi in South Chungchong Province as the candidate site for the new administrative capital, construction of which is planned to start 2007 for completion by 2030.

The planned administrative capital will accommodate a population of around 500,000 with 85 administrative, legislative and judiciary bodies.

Opposition parties fear the cost for building the new capital will be double or even triple the government estimate of 46 trillion won ($39.9 billion) and pose a serious burden on the country’s economy.

130 leaders in religious, social, and academic circles, including Rev. Soh Kyung-suk and Kang Moon-kyu, chairperson of a civic group Global Civic Sharing, signed their signature to a statement saying that such an important matter of capital relocation should be promoted after reaching a national consensus through enough discussion with people from all walks of life.

``Such national affairs should not be swayed by political power. Since this plan lacks sufficient agreement among the people and thorough deliberation on the relocation’s efficiency, we urge the government to delay the project,’’ they said in the statement.

They also denounced authorities for hastening the relocation plan, for selecting candidate sites after such a short deliberation and evaluation time without forming a national consensus.

They also pointed out side-effects the capital relocation may cause such as traffic congestions in both Seoul and the new capital and real estate speculation on the site and its neighboring regions.

``We plan to hold campaigns to prevent hasty relocation with civic groups and people who agree on the temporary stop of the relocation project unless the government changes the plan,’’ Kang said.

jayshim@koreatimes.co.kr

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr