South Korea to move 350 public agencies out of greater Seoul area

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SEOUL: South Korea has announced plans to establish a second presidential office and legislative complex in Sejong, accelerating efforts to move 350 public agencies out of the greater Seoul area. 

The broad decentralization policy aims to curb the capital’s overwhelming dominance and redistribute state functions.

Official relocation plans for the targeted 350 institutions will be finalized in 2026. Under the project timeline, Sejong will open its second presidential office by August 2029 and a second parliament building by 2033, expanding on earlier relocations of 44 central bodies.

The aggressive push directly addresses severe national disparities. Greater Seoul currently generates 53% of the country’s gross domestic product and houses approximately half of South Korea’s 51 million citizens, concentrating jobs, education, and economic opportunities in one metropolitan center.

This extreme overconcentration has left 57% of local districts at risk of disappearing due to rapid population decline. To encourage regional growth, private investments, including major semiconductor hubs, are being aligned alongside the administrative relocation effort.

Government leadership has framed the relocation strategy as an existential priority. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook declared balanced national development an essential survival strategy for South Korea's long-term sustainability.