Opposition Party's 'Silence Order' Amid Growing Calls for 'Administrative Capital Relocation'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] While the United Future Party opposes the 'administrative capital relocation' as a party stance, calling it "an issue already ruled unconstitutional," voices within the party are growing that the discussion on relocating the administrative capital should not be ignored. Kim Byung-joon, chairman of the United Future Party's Sejong City branch, called it "a very good opportunity" and proposed alternatives, and Jeong Jin-seok, the most senior member within the party, also raised his voice saying, "Let's organize our position."

On the 27th, Chairman Kim appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and expressed a positive stance on the relocation discussion, saying, "Although there is suspicion that this is for a change of phase, since it has been proposed, I think we should accept it and prepare a proper alternative for the capital relocation." Earlier, he had also argued on his Facebook that "the opposition party should not question the ruling party's motives but accept the proposal and prepare alternatives."

Chairman Kim also demanded that the presidential office be moved first if the capital relocation is to be done without constitutional amendment. He said, "The president should immediately move to Sejong City," adding, "If you look at the Constitutional Court's decision, it regards the location of the National Assembly and the president's office as the current capital. In that case, it is possible to establish a second branch rather than a sub-branch, or to establish a second presidential office. Doing so would make it feasible."

On the same day, Representative Jeong also wrote on Facebook, "Avoiding the discussion on capital relocation because issues like skyrocketing housing prices and sexual harassment scandals might be diluted only postpones an unavoidable decision," and stated, "The administrative capital issue is something we will have to address again someday anyway." However, he added, "We must coldly recognize that they are raising the capital relocation issue within the grand framework of the 2022 presidential election strategy," and "Their strategy is to steer the 2022 presidential election, which will be held amid declining approval ratings, away from a regime judgment frame and toward a referendum on capital relocation."

Meanwhile, the United Future Party's Daejeon City branch issued a statement the day before, arguing that "publicizing the discussion based on sincerity is desirable for the long-term future of the Republic of Korea." Lee Jang-woo, chairman of the Daejeon City branch, stated in the statement, "The relocation of the administrative capital is a necessary policy for balanced national development, decentralization, and alleviating overpopulation in the metropolitan area," asserting this position.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.