Why doesn't South Korea move its capital?
how saving face complicates East Asian negotiation
I heard a story, probably apocryphal, when I was in South Korea: Mr Kim, a mid-level functionary with the urban planning division of the South Korean government, was visited by his counterpart, Mr Lee, from the North Korean government.
The South Korean drove the North Korean through the city center of Seoul and around its environs. Although Mr Kim explained key design points at several important parts of the city, which he found interesting and felt would also interest anyone in his profession, Mr Lee remained sulkily quiet.
Finally, well into the second hour of their drive through Seoul, Mr Lee spoke up: "I know that you arranged to have every car in the country here in Seoul to impress me."
Mr Kim sighed, thought for a moment, then conceded: "You got me there. But the hard part was getting all the buildings up here."
The impossibility of moving all those buildings is what makes Mr Kim’s joke funny. It also explains why it’s not feasible to move the capital as many people have suggested.
