Chief Justice Yoon Young-chul announced the Constitutional Court's verdict of the special law on the relocation of the administrative capital on Thursday. Foreign News Report on President Roh's Setback in Relocation Plan Mayor, Governor Voice Support for Court's Decision on Capital Relocation Cheong Wa Dae Responds to Capital Relocation Aftermath Constitutional Court Puts an End to Capital Relocation Controversy

The Constitutional Court ruled in an 8 to 1 decision that the capital relocation bill was unconstitutional because the plan had not been put to a national referendum and was important enough to affect the nation’s foreign relations, North-South reunification and homeland security.

The bench said in its ruling that the government must amend the constitution before it can support the government's capital relocation plan. Before it can do this, however, the government must first hold a national referendum on the amendment. The court said that the government violated the constitution by failing to hold a national referendum on whether the public would accept the government chosen region in Chungcheong Province as the new capital of Korea.

Revisions to the constitution must first be proposed by either the president or a majority of parliament. The National Assembly must then pass the revision bill with the support of two-thirds of sitting representatives. The public must finally approve the revision bill by a majority vote in a national referendum held within 30 days of the National Assembly’s passage. The current capital relocation plan is not expected to move ahead, considering the distribution of seats in the National Assembly and public opinion polls that show a majority of the peope are against relocation.

In response to the court’s ruling, presidential spokesperson Kim Jong-min said that Chong Wa Dae would take some time to review the full extent of the Constitutional Court's ruling, take steps to gauge public opinion and consult with the ruling party. The presidential spokesperson said that President Roh Moo-hyun has no plans to officially comment on the ruling just yet.

Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak said that people from every walk of society should focus on reinvigorating the economy now and that he would initiate an anti-capital relocation campaign if the government ever puts the issue to a national referendum.

(Choi Jae-hyuk, jhchoi@chosun.com )