LFP leader backs original Sejong plan

Liberty Forward Party leader Lee Hoi-chang yesterday stressed the importance of pursuing the original Sejong City plan, dismissing the possibility of a compromise.

"In politics, there are both principles and exceptions. The Sejong City issue is a principle which has no room for compromise," said Lee during a debate forum hosted by the Korea Broadcasting Journalists Club.

"It is a matter of strengthening our national competitiveness in the future," Lee said.

The Sejong City project, first proposed by then-presidential candidate Roh Moo-hyun in 2002, became controversial when President Lee Myung-bak announced a revision of the plan last year.

Instead of relocating nine central government ministries and four national agencies to South Chungcheong Province, President Lee proposed turning Sejong City into a science and education-focused center.

The LFP leader also said a national referendum on the issue "is out of the question."



"Such a referendum would be against our Constitution. The Sejong City issue is not a matter of national destiny and can be dealt with in the legislature."

Article 72 of the Constitution allows the president to call a referendum over "important policies relating to diplomacy, national defense, unification and other matters relating to the national destiny."

The proposal to put the Sejong City issue to a referendum was made earlier by some GNP legislators and most recently by former President Kim Young-sam. There have been six referendums since 1962, with the last one being called in 1987.

As for the matter of amending the Constitution, Lee said: "The faster, the better. I believe that we ought to change it to a system that would fit the times. What we need is a state structure for the 21st century."

The current Constitution has not been amended since 1987.

(insider@heraldm.com)



By Lee Ho-joon