Interesting developments

The government’s license plate says "decentralization of power to the provinces."

But it is going in reverse along the expressway heading out of the capital, holding in its mouth plans for constructing "new towns" in the greater capital region.

One startled driver says "Gee, this government is all over the place," correcting himself before he says, "the Participatory Government," the name of president Roh Moo-hyun’s administration.

The kind of people who have less-than-above board connections and engage in speculative construction investment just couldn’t be happier.

(Hankyoreh Geurimpan, 24 October 2006)