Song Gap-seok "Administrative Capital Relocation Mentioned Since 1971... Shows the Existence of Sejong City"

Song Gap-seok, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Song Gap-seok, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, evaluated on the 27th regarding the relocation of the administrative capital, "The discussion about relocating the administrative capital has been mentioned since 1971, and I believe the existence of Sejong City currently demonstrates that."

Spokesperson Song appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that day and said, "It is firm that '122 public institutions are subject to relocation,' as mentioned during the general election."

He explained, "(The relocation of public institutions) broadly aligns with the proposition of national balanced development, but it is an issue that should be pursued separately from the relocation of the administrative capital," adding, "Realization of local autonomy and decentralization are values and goals that the Democratic Party has upheld, as well as part of the national land development plan."

Spokesperson Song assessed that through the relocation of public institutions such as the Blue House and the National Assembly, Sejong City will take on the characteristics of an administrative hub city, while also stating that the second phase of public institution relocations has not yet been discussed.

He said, "There have been talks about financial institutions, universities, and even KBS, but none of these are currently in our program," drawing a line by adding, "Even if it is a public university, the judgment of that university takes precedence."

Regarding rumors about the relocation of financial public institutions such as the Korea Development Bank, he explained, "The talk about banks arises because there are local demands. For example, Busan has aspirations as a financial hub city. Therefore, they hope for this," but added, "There is absolutely no discussion about this in the relevant ministries or within the party."

He emphasized, "I do not think relocating public institutions is the only solution," and added, "In relation to the Korean New Deal, the role of local areas becomes important as energy itself becomes decentralized, so this must be intertwined with such policies to be feasible."

Regarding plans for relocating the administrative capital, he said, "The first method to start with is to enact a special law," and explained, "The demand for constitutional amendment is not only about the administrative capital. If it is included together, it must be discussed all at once as it is intertwined with (the restructuring of the power structure)."

He continued, "It would be good if a new breakthrough could be made within President Moon Jae-in's term, but even if that is not possible, the next presidential election should proceed with the people's judgment as an important criterion for choice."

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