Relocating 31 central government agencies to Sejong to cost 1.65 trillion won

[Financial News]  
The government estimates that relocating 31 central administrative agencies to Sejong City will cost about 1.65 trillion won. Starting next year, 5,460 civil service positions will be relocated in phases. Twenty-three agencies will lease private buildings, while eight, including the Board of Audit and Inspection and the National Police Agency, will build new offices. On the 3rd, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will hold a public hearing to present the revised relocation plan and gather opinions on the timing and methods of the move.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said it would hold a public hearing on the proposed revision to the relocation plan for central administrative agencies and others at 10 a.m. that day in the main auditorium on the second floor of the annex to Government Complex Seoul. The hearing is a follow-up step in the second phase of relocating central administrative agencies, aimed at strengthening a system of state administration centered on Sejong and promoting balanced national development.
On the 13th of last month, the government announced plans to relocate 44 agencies, including central administrative agencies, and 9,929 civil service positions to Sejong in phases starting in 2027. The current revision first includes 31 agencies and 5,460 positions that can be relocated under existing laws and regulations.
The timing of the relocation will vary depending on how each agency secures office space. Twenty-three agencies, including the Broadcasting, Media and Communications Commission and the Personal Information Protection Commission, with 1,831 personnel, will lease private buildings and other premises in the Multifunctional Administrative City in Sejong City and relocate by 2027. Eight agencies, including the Board of Audit and Inspection, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the National Police Agency, with 3,629 personnel, plan to build new offices and relocate by 2031.
The relocation is estimated to cost about 55.7 billion won for moves to leased offices and about 1.6 trillion won to build new offices. This means most of the total cost will go toward constructing new office buildings. However, the estimate covers only the 31 agencies being relocated first and does not include the costs of moving the remaining 13 agencies.
The remaining 13 agencies, including the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Unification, National Defense, Justice, and Gender Equality and Family, with 4,469 personnel, will proceed with relocation after the relevant laws and regulations are revised. The government plans to further revise and formally announce the relocation plan, taking into account the timing of legislative changes and the availability of office space.
The hearing that day will include an explanation of the proposed changes to the relocation plan, followed by a panel discussion with designated experts, a question-and-answer session, and the collection of opinions. From the 3rd through the 4th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will also receive online comments through the “People’s Idea Box” on e-People and the ministry’s website.
After reviewing opinions gathered at the hearing and online, the ministry plans to formally announce the revised relocation plan following consultations with relevant agencies and approval by the president.
[email protected] Lee Bomi Reporter