▲ Kim Min-jae, Vice Minister of the Interior and Safety, delivers opening remarks at the second public hearing on the relocation of central government agencies to Sejong, held at the main auditorium of the Government Complex-Seoul annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on November 3.
Ahead of the scheduled relocation of 31 central government agencies and 5,460 public officials to Sejong, calls have emerged urging authorities to first establish housing measures and ensure a sufficient preparation period.
Opinions were also raised that for the Sejong relocation to lead to enhanced administrative efficiency, existing work practices such as attending National Assembly sessions and business trips to Seoul must be improved, while certain on-site response functions need to be maintained in Seoul.
In particular, Gwacheon City and public officials from the agencies slated for relocation have protested that the move was pursued without prior consultation, prompting the government to state that it will accelerate housing supply and prepare relocation support measures.
During the public hearing on the revised relocation plan for central government agencies held by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety at the main auditorium of the Government Complex-Seoul annex on the morning of November 3, various tasks were discussed, ranging from securing stable living conditions for relocating officials to resolving administrative inefficiencies.
Lee Chul-soo, chairperson of the National Government Employees' Union, pointed out the uncertainty regarding housing supply volumes and move-in timelines, stating, "We must secure the necessary time to create the conditions for relocation and give relocating officials time to prepare."
He added, "If the relocation timing is delayed slightly to coincide with the conclusion of the Chungcheong Universiade, some of the 2,367 rental housing units built for the athletes' village could be utilized for the housing of relocating officials."
Lim Jun-hyung, a professor in the Division of Public Administration at Korea University's Sejong Campus, suggested that housing supply methods should be diversified into leases, sales, and long-term rentals, and that settlement support should be differentiated based on family composition and whether a spouse is employed.
He pointed out that special housing allotments must be managed to prevent them from being abused as a means of speculation, and equity with existing Sejong residents must also be considered.
He proposed introducing a sunset clause to gradually reduce transportation support after the initial settlement period passes.
Remarks were also made that work practices within the government and the National Assembly must change first to enhance the effectiveness of the Sejong relocation.
Park Jin, a professor at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, noted, "The practice of waiting overnight to receive expected questions during government interpellation sessions still persists," and suggested limiting the number of ministry personnel attending National Assembly sessions.
Heo Jun-young, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute of Public Administration, expressed concern that if relocation is pursued considering only securing office buildings and locational convenience, inefficiencies caused by the dispersion of agencies could be repeated within Sejong itself.
He explained, "There is no need to concentrate all administrative functions in Sejong," adding that on-site execution and public service functions should be arranged in consideration of work characteristics and public accessibility.
The public hearing saw continued backlash from citizens and public officials belonging to the agencies targeted for relocation.
In particular, opposition from Gwacheon City was fierce ahead of the relocation of agencies housed in the Government Complex-Gwacheon, such as the Ministry of Justice and the Korea Communications Standards Commission.
Previously, labor unions including those of the Korea Communications Standards Commission and the National Human Rights Commission issued successive statements criticizing the pursuit of relocation without prior consultation and demanding a review of the relocation schedule.
Gwacheon Mayor Shin Gye-yong criticized, "When major ministries left in 2014, one of the principles announced by the government at the time was that it would continue to maintain Gwacheon's administrative functions. Yet now, with six major ministries leaving, even that principle has been ignored, and the relocation was announced without a single word of prior consultation with Gwacheon City."
The chairperson of the Korea Communications Standards Commission labor union also claimed, "Decisions directly tied to working conditions were carried out without listening to a single word from the parties involved."
The chairperson added, "We need to find homes, transfer our children's schools, and determine the whereabouts of our dual-income spouses," while requesting, "Please give us a realistic grace period."
In response, an official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained, "As for people asking what will fill the void if other agencies move out, we do have intentions to fill it and are conducting demand surveys," adding that ways to utilize the existing Gwacheon complex will also be sought.
Government explanations regarding demands for housing measures for public officials also followed.
An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, "The pan-governmental relocation support task force is investigating various matters such as the Sejong relocation demand of relocating agency workers, whether they are accompanied by their families, and their housing types," adding, "Regarding mid- to long-term housing supply, there is a plan to supply approximately 62,000 housing units sequentially in Sejong."
An official from the National Agency for Administrative City Construction explained, "About 2,300 rental housing units are scheduled to be supplied in 2027, and from 2028 onward, housing supply volumes of about 4,000 units or more are planned every year."
The official added, "We are currently reviewing housing supply schedules so that they can be pursued very rapidly, and by swiftly consulting with LH, we will advance site development schedules and pull forward Sejong City's architectural licensing schedules to prepare housing supplies at a level that far exceeds the current housing supply volume."
An official from the Ministry of Personnel Management stated that discussion on support measures for relocation allowances is also underway within the pan-governmental task force.
This public hearing was arranged to hear opinions on the relocation plans for 31 agencies and 5,460 personnel who can be relocated under current laws and regulations.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to officially notify the revision of the relocation plan following opinion collection, consultations with related agencies, and presidential approval.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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