Well I hadn't even heard of this proposal until it was defeated. What a great idea. Why would you want your capital to be within direct striking distance of your enemy if you can help it? Sure there's the traditional angle, the cultural angle and even the spiritual angle, but with 80 bazzillion artillery pieces pointed at your capital wouldn't it be smart to move it out of artillery range. Well apparently not as it was struck down as unconstitutional.

Channel News Asia

South Korea's Constitutional Court has derailed President Roh Moo-Hyun's plan to relocate the country's capital from Seoul, saying the move was unconstitutional.

"The special law on relocation of the capital is against the constitution," said Yun Young-Chul, president of the court.

Yun said in a televised ruling that eight of nine court judges had agreed the plan would violate the constitution. Seven of them said the constitution would have to be revised to allow the relocation to take place, he said.

...

The controversial multibillion-dollar project had been aimed at "balancing" development in South Korea which has focused on Seoul in recent decades, with wealth, power and population accumulating at the expense of other regions.

Sounds reasonable to me. Their constitution doesn't specifically state the capital as Seoul, but it is accepted as such for over 600 years by their custom.

The article says the President would take the defeat of his proposal as a political setback, but I don't see why. Seems like he was just looking out for the best fr the Korean people as far as national security as well as economically by spreading development throughout the country. I don't see how people could fault him for that.

tipped by: Backcountry Conservative