Legislation Proposed to Relocate Administrative Capital Including Supreme Court and Constitutional Court... Opposition Parties Also Show Growing Support

Kim Du-gwan, member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] On the 22nd, a bill to relocate the administrative capital, including not only the Blue House, the National Assembly, and government ministries but also the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court (Heonjae), will be proposed. Prominent politicians from the opposition party, the United Future Party, have also begun to voice their support one after another, indicating that discussions on relocating the administrative capital are expected to spread in the political sphere. Public opinion regarding the relocation of the administrative capital shows that the majority are in favor.

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Du-kwan stated on Facebook that day, "I plan to resubmit the special law on relocating the administrative capital today. There is no other way to solve the numerous pressing issues caused by the concentration in Seoul, such as housing, transportation, and the environment."

He continued, "The real estate problem has already reached a point where it cannot be solved by just one or two methods. Fine dust and the spread of infectious diseases caused by the concentration in the metropolitan area threaten the lives of the people. We can no longer neglect the astronomical losses caused by traffic congestion."

A representative from Kim's office said, "The bill aims to elevate the Administrative City to the status of the administrative capital," adding, "Along with the Blue House, government, and National Assembly, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court are also included in the relocation targets, preparing for the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to move together."

He further explained, "The 2004 'customary constitution' ruling by the Constitutional Court did not block future legislative activities," and said, "We believe that relocating the administrative capital is possible through legislation rather than constitutional amendment, and even if a constitutional complaint is filed again, a different judgment will be made in line with changing times." Kim previously served as Minister of the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and was in charge of the administrative capital relocation project.

Regarding the relocation of the judiciary, it is pointed out that it is relatively free from legal controversy. This is because the Constitutional Court ruled in 2004 that the judiciary is not a decisive factor in establishing a capital. At that time, the Constitutional Court stated, "The place where judicial power, including constitutional adjudication, is exercised and the economic capacity of the city are not essential elements in determining the capital."

Prominent politicians from the opposition party are also joining in. From the ruling party's perspective, if only the opposition cooperates, the process could gain momentum, which is a positive sign. Jeong Jin-seok, a five-term United Future Party lawmaker representing the Chungnam Gongju, Buyeo, and Cheongyang districts, told Yonhap News in a phone interview, "I agree with the direction of completing the administrative capital. Fundamentally, a constitutional amendment is necessary to complete Sejong City." His position is that overturning the 2004 unconstitutional ruling by the Constitutional Court through constitutional amendment should take precedence over legal revision.

Oh Se-hoon, former mayor of Seoul and a potential presidential candidate, spoke as a lecturer at the United Future Party's freshman study group "Myeongbulheojeon" held at the National Assembly that day, saying, "Basically, I hope the United Future Party will positively consider the relocation of the administrative capital, and it is worth discussing in depth."

United Future Party lawmaker Jang Je-won also criticized on Facebook, "I do not understand why our party consistently opposes and dismisses the theory of completing Sejong City as the administrative capital," adding, "If it is dismissed as a Democratic Party tactic to change the political situation, ultimately, we will be the ones who lose." He continued, "Can we discuss the country's future while leaving the current concentration in the metropolitan area as it is? Will we leave the declining provinces as they are? The Constitutional Court's ruling from 16 years ago is not an eternal judgment." His view is essentially aligned with that of the Democratic Party.

Meanwhile, more than half of the public are in favor of relocating the administrative capital. Realmeter announced that, based on a public opinion survey commissioned by 'OhmyNews' regarding the relocation of the Blue House and National Assembly to Sejong City, 53.9% were in favor, and 34.3% opposed.

By region, support was highest in Gwangju and Jeolla at 68.8%, followed by Daejeon, Sejong, and Chungcheong at 66.1%. In contrast, opinions were evenly split in Seoul (support 42.5%, oppose 45.1%) and Daegu-Gyeongbuk (support 46.4%, oppose 45.7%). The survey contacted 10,778 adults aged 18 and over nationwide, with a final 500 respondents completing the survey, resulting in a response rate of 4.7%. The sampling error is ±4.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.