South Korea to Relocate Government Agencies from Seoul to Sejong Starting 2027

The South Korean government announced on Thursday that it will begin relocating central administrative agencies and public institutions from the Seoul metropolitan area to the city of Sejong starting in the first half of 2027. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook stated that the move aims to promote balanced regional growth and establish Sejong as the central axis of national development. The plan includes the relocation of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, while the National Police Agency and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency will move once new offices are completed. Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung added that the foreign and unification ministries are also under consideration for relocation, with a final list of agencies to be confirmed in the fourth quarter of this year.

Beyond ministries, the government intends to move most of the 350 state run institutions currently located in the Seoul area. This process will be accompanied by structural reforms to reduce the number of public institutions by 109 through the consolidation of overlapping functions. To further shift the administrative center, the government plans to complete a presidential office in Sejong by August 2029 and a National Assembly hall by 2030. One source notes that the parliament building may be completed by 2033.

While center outlets focused on the administrative details and the historical context of balanced development, a center right outlet framed the announcement as a fulfillment of the Lee Jae Myung administration's specific pledge for balanced growth.