"Only for election purposes for 20 years... a matter of sincerity"
"An attempt to distort it into a regime judgment theory"
Handonghun, the Chief Election Strategy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is holding a press conference on current issues at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 27th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@
On the 27th, Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, announced plans to completely relocate the National Assembly to Sejong City, sparking differing interpretations among ruling and opposition lawmakers.
On the 28th, Kim Jong-min, a member of the New Future Party, said on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "This is an election gimmick. For 20 years, the idea of relocating to Sejong City has only been thrown around for election purposes and has never been fulfilled," adding, "It's a matter of sincerity. They should start by apologizing." He continued, "President Yoon Seok-yeol promised to make Sejong City the true capital by relocating the National Assembly and holding Cabinet meetings chaired by the president in Sejong City every other week, but in two years, Cabinet meetings have only been held once a year," criticizing the administration.
According to the 2004 Constitutional Court precedents and rulings, the capital is where the National Assembly and the president are located. While members of the People Power Party have pledged to fully relocate the National Assembly, the Presidential Office has announced plans to move the second executive office. Lawmaker Kim pointed out, "If this happens, it will not align with the constitutional system," and added, "This discord shows that the pledge is unprepared."
Regarding this, Ryu Je-hwa, a People Power Party candidate, said on 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "Whether the presidential executive office is established or not is an issue that can be resolved through legislation in the National Assembly," and explained, "This is an attempt to turn it into a regime judgment by clinging to the president. There is a very strategic intention behind Lawmaker Kim's obsession with the presidential executive office."
He further described the complete relocation to Sejong City as "another way of saying to move the capital, not just making Sejong an administrative hub city." Responding to Kim's claim of political motives, he retorted, "That's looking at it through colored glasses." Candidate Ryu also said, "A new agenda related to the Sejong City relocation has emerged, and a golden opportunity to push it forward has come, but being stuck on events from 20 years ago and talking at length basically means they don't want to work."
Lee Sang-min, co-chairman of the People Power Party's joint election committee, commented on Kim's sincerity remarks on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' saying, "If you want to look at it cynically, you can only see it cynically," and added, "If the Democratic Party also wants to make Sejong City the true administrative capital, the ruling and opposition parties can cooperate and handle it quickly."
Regarding the Presidential Office's announcement to relocate the second executive office, it explained, "The Constitutional Court's standard for unconstitutional rulings is based on the presidential executive office and residence rather than the National Assembly," and said, "If the main executive office is moved, constitutional controversies may arise, so even if the main executive office remains in Yongsan and Hannam-dong is used as the residence, having a second executive office and residence in Sejong City could avoid legal disputes. This is a tactical measure."
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