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Thirteen more public agencies including the Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power will be relocated to the provinces. The Presidential Committee on Balanced National Development on Tuesday announced the decision which would see seven agencies relocated to the so-called "innovative cities.Ħħ As a result, a total of 41 public organizations, including 28 agencies such as the Korea Land Corporation and the Korea National Housing Corporation whose relocation was decided last December, will be moved out of Seoul.
Of the 13 agencies, the Labor Ministry's general counseling center will move to Ulsan; the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service, the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, the National Plant Quarantine Service, the National Seed and Variety Service, the Quality Management Office, and the Supply and Construction Office of Korea Post to Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province; the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. to Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province; the Radio Research Agency to Gwangju, South Jeolla Province; the Police Comprehensive Academy to Asan, South Chungcheong Province; the Customs Border Control Training Center to Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province; the Forest Aviation Office to Wonju, Gangwon Province; and the Korea Coast Guard Academy to Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.
These agencies will have to work out how to dispose of their properties at their current headquarters within three months and finish relocation by 2012. But they are burdened with piles of tasks to resolve before they are relocated. It will cost about W4.2 trillion (US$1=W1,320) for the 28 agencies whose relocation was decided late last year to build new buildings, move and give allowances to their staff. About W1.2 trillion will be needed to build new headquarters for the last 13 public agencies.
The relocation project seems to have been rough going, with expenses for land compensation soaring after that the Roh Moo-hyun administration pushed to finalize the innovative city project during its term. The government has laid down a principle of raising money for the relocation by selling the main buildings or unused land of those agencies. But that is not easy in a recession.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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