Jo Hae-jin: "Relocation of Capital Should Be Discussed with Open Location Options... Considering Unification, Pyongyang"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jo Hae-jin, a member of the Future United Party, commented on the capital relocation, stating, "We must keep all options open, including where the location should be," and pointed out that considering unification, Pyongyang above Kaesong is suitable.

On the 29th, Jo appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "This is not just an administrative capital relocation but a capital relocation. The issue of moving the National Assembly and the Blue House is a capital relocation," emphasizing this point.

He said, "Because there is public resistance and rejection to the capital relocation, the ruling party calls it an administrative capital, but they should be honest about it," adding, "This is literally a matter of a century-long plan."

Jo criticized, "As the late President Roh Moo-hyun said, the intention to replicate the electoral gains is fundamentally wrong from the start," and pointed out, "This is a national century-long plan, and it is unacceptable to manipulate it for the political interests of a specific faction."

He emphasized that Sejong alone should not be considered as the capital relocation site. He said, "From a fundamental perspective, in terms of a century-long plan and also from the ruling party's perspective of regional balanced development, all options regarding the location must be kept open," and added, "If it is a century-long plan, the first thing to consider is the redistribution of a unified Korea."

He stated, "Considering the entire Korean Peninsula's geography and North Korea's position, it is actually difficult to go further down from Seoul; it is more likely to go up towards Kaesong or even further north, and probably a new administrative city should be built in Pyongyang," criticizing, "In my view, the ruling party has already decided on the location and is pushing forward, which goes against balanced development."

He pointed out, "(The Sejong capital relocation) is not a decentralization of the capital or overcrowding, but an expansion of the metropolitan area," and said, "The metropolitan area is expanding from Seoul to Gyeonggi, and from Gyeonggi to the border areas of Gyeonggi."

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