South Korea opens controversial new mini-capital

S KOREA: South Korea Monday inaugurated a mini-capital to house much of the nation’s government, ending a decade of wrangling over a project seen by critics as driven by politics.

About 2,000 residents and dignitaries from Seoul attended the launch of Sejong City, which will cost 22.5 trillion won ($19.4 billion) when completed. The stated aim is to rebalance national development in a country where Seoul and its satellite cities account for almost half the population, and to ease congestion in the capital area.

“The city... will open a major new era in the history of the country’s balanced development,” Prime Minister Kim Hwang-Sik said in a speech. Sejong City, 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Seoul, will by 2015 house 16 ministries or agencies and 20 central government offices currently located in or near the capital. More than 10,000 civil servants will work there. But some 10 state bodies including the president’s office, the foreign ministry, the defence ministry and parliament will stay in Seoul. Critics say the split government will lead to wasted travelling hours and inefficiency.

Some say the project was largely intended to win votes in the central Chungcheong region, traditionally the home of uncommitted voters wooed by both parties.

“There are worries that the division of central government bodies can cause inefficiency,” Kim acknowledged. “We will try hard to quell such concerns and to forge a good balance and coordination among the agencies.”

AFP