Court Ruling Halts Capital Reloca-tion Plan
- Gov't mulls alternative plan in Chungcheong area

The Constitutional Court's ruling against the relocation of an administrative capital has apparently delivered a blow on balanced national development and decentralization, the centerpiece of reform tasks the participatory government has pursed. The court's nine-member panel ruled on Oct. 21 that the special law on the capital relocation project, passed by the parliament last year, was unconstitutional. The unexpected 8 to 1 verdict in favor of a petition against the capital move came as a shock to the government of President Ro Moo-hyun and the ruling Uri Party as well as the residents in the Yeongi-Gongju area, the planned capital relocation site.
The opposition Grand National Party welcomed the ruling. GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye said, "The Constitutional Court enlightened us again that our country's legal system is still alive, despite political turmoil."
Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak and Gyeonggi Province Gov. Sohn Hak-kyu rejoiced at the ruling. They have spearheaded the campaign against the capital relocation they claim could weaken the nation's competitive edge.
A statement, issued by the government spokesman, said that the government decided to hall all legal activities such as committees on the capital relocation following the Constitutional Court's ruling.
Announcing the verdict in a news conference, televised live nationwide, Constitutional Court President Yoon Young-chul cited that the fact that Seoul has been the nation's capital for over 600 years since 1392 is considered as a customary constitutional provision. The relocation of the capital should require a constitutional amendment, and a constitutional amendment shall be passed by a two-thirds majority of the lawmakers before it should be put to a national referendum in which the revision bill should be approved by more than one half of the votes cast by over one half of the voters eligible for the general elections.
President Roh Moo-hyun made the plan to relocate an administrative capital to the central district of Chungcheong as one of his public pledges during his presidential election campaign in 2002, in an apparent appeal to woo votes from the Chungcheong area.
The National Assembly approved the special law on the capital relocation with the ruling Uri Party taking the initiative and the majority GNP backing it ahead of the general elections held last April. Even the opposition GNP supported the capital relocation bill so as to solicit voters from the region during the general election.
The opposition GNP has changed its mind and has joined forces in putting up opposition against the capital relocation as the government has pushed ahead with it as planned. The government has confirmed the Yeongi-Gongju area as the projected capital site. The government is now determined to carry out a water-downed version of the capital relocation plan - an administration town or other alternative project in the Chungcheong area. nw