SEOUL — South Korea will relocate about 10,000 government jobs and 44 central government agencies from the Seoul metropolitan area to Sejong city between 2027 and 2031, the interior ministry said on Tuesday (Oct 13).

A total of 44 agencies and 9,929 government employees will be relocated from the capital region to the country's administrative city of Sejong, a ministry press release said.

Twenty-seven agencies, representing 2,995 jobs, will move in 2027 using leased office space in Sejong.

Early movers include the Financial Services Commission, Personal Information Protection Commission, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, National Human Rights Commission and Overseas Koreans Agency.

Seventeen agencies requiring dedicated facilities will relocate after new government buildings are constructed, with moves completed by 2031.

Those agencies include the foreign, unification and defence ministries, the National Police Agency, Board of Audit and Inspection, Corruption Investigation Office and newly established prosecution and serious crime investigation bodies.

The government estimates about 3.1 trillion won (S$3 billion) will be needed to construct new office complexes, while 89.7 billion won will be spent on leased facilities and relocation support.

The government plans to seek legislative changes to remove exemptions that currently prevent the foreign, unification, defence, justice and gender equality ministries from relocating.

A presidential office in Sejong is due for completion in 2029, while a Sejong branch of parliament is scheduled to open in 2033.

The government has previously said the move to Sejong, which is about 110 km south of Seoul, is part of a broader strategy to tackle the ​concentration of population, capital, businesses and infrastructure in the capital region, ​while other parts of the country confront demographic decline.

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