Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Gender Equality to Begin Relocation to Sejong City in the First Half of 2027

[Financial News] The government will begin the phased relocation of central government agencies based in the Seoul metropolitan area, including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality, to Sejong City in the first half of 2027.
Agencies requiring separate buildings, including the Public Prosecution Office, the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Korean National Police Agency, will relocate after new facilities are built.
Yun Ho-jung, minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), announced the government's "Second Plan for Relocating Central Government Agencies" on the 3rd. He said, "We will pursue the relocation of central government agencies to strengthen a Sejong-centered system of state administration and improve the efficiency of interagency collaboration and communication."
The government plans to relocate central government agencies and their affiliated organizations currently based in the Seoul metropolitan area to Sejong City after comprehensively reviewing each agency's functions and characteristics, as well as the links between their operations.
As a first step, the government will pursue an amendment to the Special Act on the Construction of Administrative City to remove the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality from the list of agencies excluded from relocation under the current law. The specific agencies to be relocated, along with the methods and timing, will be finalized by revising and publicly announcing the "Relocation Plan for Central Government Agencies and Others" after consultations with relevant central government agencies and public hearings, in accordance with the Special Act on the Construction of Administrative City.
Following the relevant procedures, the government plans to begin the phased relocation in the first half of 2027, prioritizing agencies such as the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality that are large or expected to have a significant relocation impact.
Agencies requiring separate buildings, including the Public Prosecution Office, the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Korean National Police Agency, will relocate after new facilities are built. Rather than moving all agencies at once, the government will proceed in stages, taking into account each agency's operational conditions and state of preparation to minimize administrative disruptions.
The government will also establish measures to ensure business continuity at each agency so that services directly affecting people's lives, such as civil complaints, permits and licenses, and policy implementation, are not suspended or delayed during the relocation. It will also create housing, education, childcare and transportation conditions, along with suitable working environments, to help relocating employees and their families settle in.
A task force involving relevant ministries will also be formed under the leadership of MOIS and the Office for Government Policy Coordination. The government plans to review each agency's relocation plan, the status of securing office buildings, business continuity measures, and support for employees and their families' settlement at the pan-governmental level.
The government will ask the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea for cooperation on the 2027 budget needed for the relocation of central government agencies and on amendments to the Special Act on the Construction of Administrative City.
Minister Yun said, "The relocation of central government agencies is not merely a matter of moving the government's physical space." He added, "It is about improving the efficiency of national administration, strengthening Sejong City's function as an administrative hub, and further solidifying the foundation for balanced national growth." A total of 43 agencies relocated to Sejong City between 2012 and 2021.


[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter