▲ Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-joong announces the detailed plan for the second phase of central government agency relocation during a briefing at the Government Complex-Seoul main building on the 13th.
A total of 44 central government agencies located in the capital area, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification, and the Ministry of National Defense, will be relocated to Sejong in phases from next year until 2031.
The number of public officials subject to relocation stands at 9,929, meaning about 10,000 civil servants will move their workplaces to Sejong starting next year.
In 2027, the first year, 27 agencies (2,995 officials) that do not require separate new buildings will relocate first by utilizing privately leased space in the Sejong area.
Seventeen agencies (6,934 officials) that require independent buildings due to the nature of their duties, such as investigation, security, and monitoring, will be relocated sequentially through the construction of separate new buildings by 2031.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the detailed plan for the second phase of central government agency relocation containing these measures.
In 2027, 27 out of the total 44 agencies designated for relocation will move in phases using temporary office buildings.
In the first half of the year, the relocation of six agencies will be promoted first, including the Korea Communications Commission (301 officials, Gwacheon), the Personal Information Protection Commission (224 officials, Seoul), the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (134 officials, Seoul), the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (231 officials, Seoul), the National Education Commission (54 officials, Seoul), and the Overseas Koreans Agency (157 officials, Incheon).
In the second half, the plan is to wrap up agency relocations utilizing leased offices by moving 19 agencies, including the Financial Services Commission (340 officials, Seoul), as well as affiliated agencies and various advisory committees of each ministry.
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plan to determine their relocation timing in alignment with the amendment schedule of the Multifunctional Administrative City Construction Act, which previously specified them as agencies exempt from relocation.
The remaining 17 agencies are scheduled to be relocated by 2031 following the construction of new buildings.
They include five criminal justice agencies—the Board of Audit and Inspection (1,059 officials, Seoul), the Public Prosecution Service (471 officials, Seoul), the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (396 officials, Seoul), the Korean National Police Agency (2,160 officials, Seoul), and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (85 officials, Gwacheon)—along with three foreign affairs and security ministries that require amendments to the Multifunctional Administrative City Construction Act: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1,024 officials, Seoul), the Ministry of Unification (336 officials, Seoul), and the Ministry of National Defense (746 officials, Seoul).
Nine affiliated agencies, such as the National Institute of Korean History (85 officials, Gwacheon) and the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (106 officials, Seoul), which are slated for building construction and ministry-linked relocation, are also included.
In alignment with this, the Sejong office of the President is scheduled for completion in 2029, and the Sejong National Assembly Building in 2033.
▲ Government Complex-Sejong
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety expects that approximately 89.7 billion won will be required next year for office leasing, establishment, and operational costs, as well as relocation support expenses for civil servants of agencies moving into leased spaces.
The construction of government buildings for agencies requiring independent offices and those utilizing leased spaces in the future is estimated to cost about 3.1 trillion won.
In 2027, about 28.6 billion won for basic design costs will be reflected in the budget to initiate the government building construction process.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to discuss with the National Assembly ways to delete the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family from the legal provisions that currently stipulate them as agencies exempt from relocation under the current Multifunctional Administrative City Construction Act.
It also plans to closely consult with the National Assembly to ensure that the budget required for relocation is secured in a timely manner.
In addition, support measures including housing, transportation, and relocation expenses will be prepared so that officials of the relocated agencies and their families can settle down in Sejong.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will provide moving expenses and initial relocation support grants, and also consider temporarily supporting transportation for public officials who find it difficult to relocate immediately due to housing preparation or the end of children's school semesters.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-joong emphasized during a briefing held at the Government Complex-Seoul, "This relocation of central government agencies to Sejong is a core national strategy to overcome the capital-centric unipolar system and efficiently utilize national territory, thereby enabling South Korea to achieve sustainable growth and a new leap forward."
He added, "As this is a decision for the nation's future, I ask for the cooperation of the employees of the agencies subject to relocation, and we will push forward with the relocation by taking care of all related matters without omission to minimize public inconvenience and ensure the relocated agencies settle down stably."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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