Foreign affairs, defense ministries included in Seoul's W3.1tr relocation plan

The government plans to relocate 44 central government bodies from Seoul to Sejong by 2031. The group includes the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Unification, and several security and oversight agencies. The move is part of a broader effort to reduce excessive concentration in the capital region.

The relocation will happen in stages. Twenty-seven bodies that do not need new buildings are expected to move into rented offices by the end of 2027. The remaining 17 need specialized facilities or separate buildings for security reasons, so they are expected to move by 2031.

The plan involves 9,929 employees and is estimated to cost 3.1 trillion won. The government says the move will support more balanced national growth and more efficient use of Korea’s territory. The presidential office and National Assembly will also establish facilities in Sejong, but neither will fully relocate there.

Sejong is a city developed to host central government agencies outside Seoul. The article presents it as Korea’s administrative city and a destination for major public institutions. It matters because the government wants to reduce the capital region’s heavy concentration of government functions.

The city’s first major relocation took place between 2012 and 2014. During that period, 43 government bodies moved to Sejong, bringing a combined workforce of 14,731 employees. The new plan would extend that earlier effort by moving 44 additional bodies.

The government describes relocation as a national strategy for sustainable growth and more efficient use of the country’s territory. It also expects the move to create a new leap forward for Korea. The article does not provide further details about Sejong’s founding or wider urban development beyond its administrative role.

The relocation is large in both workforce and cost. Forty-four government bodies will move from Seoul to Sejong, involving 9,929 employees. The government estimates the process will cost 3.1 trillion won, or about $2.3 billion.

The timeline has two main stages. Twenty-seven bodies that do not require new buildings will move into rented office space by the end of 2027. Their expected workforce totals 2,995 employees. The remaining 17 bodies need specialized facilities or separate buildings for security reasons, and their 6,934 employees are expected to move by 2031.

The first six bodies are scheduled to move in the first half of the relevant year, followed by 19 others in the second half. The plan also includes the Justice and Gender Equality and Family ministries, though their schedules depend on revisions to the administration city law. The government says preparations will prevent service disruptions.

The two ministries were originally excluded from Sejong’s first major relocation because location was considered especially important to their work. Foreign Affairs needed proximity to foreign diplomatic missions, while Unification needed proximity to North Korea. Both therefore remained in Seoul when 43 other bodies moved between 2012 and 2014.

Their inclusion reflects a later policy change. The government’s September announcement introduced guidelines for relocating central administrative agencies and specifically raised the relocation of both ministries for consideration. After consultations with institutions and experts, the latest plan included them.

The move is expected to take place by 2031, alongside other bodies requiring specialized facilities or separate buildings for security reasons. The article does not say that diplomatic or security needs have disappeared. It shows instead that the government has decided those ministries should now be part of the wider relocation strategy, while preparing facilities and schedules for the move.

Relocating government bodies could interrupt public services if offices, staff, and records cannot move smoothly. The article specifically mentions civil complaints and licensing procedures. Employees may also face difficulties with housing, moving costs, commuting, and timing a move around their children’s school terms.

To prevent disruption, each agency must prepare measures to keep operations running during relocation. The government will support employees with moving expenses and early settlement costs. It will also provide temporary transportation for civil servants who cannot immediately relocate because of housing arrangements or school schedules.

These steps are meant to protect the public while offices change locations. The government says it will minimize inconvenience and help agencies settle smoothly. The plan also requires continued preparation and consultations, including discussions with the National Assembly about revisions to the administration city act. Exact agency-level continuity measures will be developed by the agencies themselves.

The government plans to establish a presidential office in Sejong by 2029 and a National Assembly building there by 2033. These facilities would give both institutions a presence in the administrative city while preserving their existing arrangements elsewhere.

The article clearly states that neither body will fully move to Sejong. It does not explain the practical, constitutional, political, or operational reason for this partial relocation. Therefore, the safest conclusion is that the plan combines new facilities in Sejong with continued operations outside the city.

This approach differs from the relocation of the 44 government bodies. Those agencies are scheduled for full moves, in stages through 2031. The presidential office and National Assembly buildings have later completion dates, in 2029 and 2033. Their facilities are therefore part of the broader administrative-city plan, but their institutions will not be completely transferred.

Moving government institutions away from Seoul can distribute public-sector jobs, offices, and daily economic activity more widely across the country. That can reduce the capital region’s dominance and give Sejong a larger role in national administration. The government links this approach to sustainable growth and a more balanced use of territory.

The article’s example is Sejong’s earlier relocation. Between 2012 and 2014, 43 government bodies and 14,731 employees moved there. The new plan would add 44 bodies and 9,929 employees. This creates another major concentration of administrative work outside Seoul rather than leaving all central ministries in the capital.

The government expects the change to address excessive concentration and support a new leap forward for Korea. Once central ministries leave Seoul, only affiliated agencies responsible for direct public services are expected to remain across Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province. The article does not quantify the resulting regional economic effects.