8-1 Ruling Ends President’s Mega Project


By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter


The Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled the government’s plan to move the capital is unconstitutional, putting the brakes on the relocation project pursued by the Roh Moo-hyun government as a key item on the national agenda.

Upsetting expectations, eight of the court’s nine-member panel ruled in favor of the 169 citizens who filed the petition in July against the special law that paved the way for the government to move the capital to the Yongi-Kongju region in South Chungchong Province. Only one justice, Chun Hyo-sook, dismissed the petition.

``People’s basic rights to vote were seriously harmed as the relocation project was pursued without gaining national consensus,’’ president Yoon Young-chul read the verdict. ``The president should have put the matter to a referendum, but he didn’t. This violates the basic voting rights of the people.’’

The ruling, broadcast live, was met by mixed reactions as Seoul City and the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) hailed the judgment. Chong Wa Dae and residents of the Chungchong provinces were at a loss as the ruling camp held emergency meetings to prepare for the fallout.

Although the National Assembly passed the relocation bill last year, the relocation issue, over which the nation has been keenly divided, requires a national referendum before being put in motion, the verdict said.

Seoul City has long been accepted as the national capital. And although there is no constitutional clause defining it as such, for both historical and practical reasons, people regard Seoul as the capital, and common thought should be respected just as written laws are, it said.

``In order to push for the capital relocation, the government and the legislature should have revised the Constitution. But they didn’t,’’ the ruling said.

The ruling will end legal controversy over the relocation issue, but it remains to be seen whether a national referendum will actually take place.

Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said after the ruling that he respects the court’s ruling and the government will immediately stop all functions concerning the project.

Seoul City welcomed the ruling, saying ``It is a victory for people who try to protect rules for the people and democracy.’’

``With the court ruling, we will try to defend the people’s basic right and Seoul City, which has been the capital for 600 years,’’ Mayor Lee Myung-bak said in a statement.

The citizens said in the petition that the government should have held a national plebiscite to decide the national capital, but it skipped the procedure in violation of the Constitution. Critics have argued the capital relocation plan was politically motivated as the Roh administration sought to win the hearts of voters from the Chungchong provinces ahead of the general elections in April.

The government has claimed the relocation is key to achieving balanced national development.

jj@koreatimes.co.kr