[Choi Jun-young's Urban Pilgrimage] The Growth of Sejong City, the 'Gangnam of Chungcheong'

At some point, the term 'Gangnam' began to be widely used to mean 'the best place.' This expression was established after the development of the 'Yeongdong' area, which refers to the south of the Han River in Seoul in the 1970s, specifically east of Yeongdeungpo. Traditionally, cities were generally built north of rivers. Having mountains to the north to block cold winds and placing the river to the south allowed for sufficient sunlight and stable water supply, making such locations auspicious and ideal. This is also why many Korean place names include the character 'Yang (陽),' meaning 'sun' or 'positive.'

Newly created urban areas and cities initially always appear unfamiliar and awkward. This is because the scars and traces left by artificially altering the old landscape remain visible. The straight lines and ochre colors replacing the curves and greenery formed over many years appear discordant. However, as time passes and human touch is applied, this discordance gradually transforms into familiarity and naturalness. This is why most new towns experience their first heyday around ten years after initial occupancy. During this period, the novelty from the city's phased expansion continues, and the initial awkwardness disappears. If the city can expand further, this cycle repeats and grows, but in most cases, the cycle ends after one iteration.

Population Changes in Sejong City

Through Continuous National Investment,
Infrastructure Expansion, and Population Influx,
Successful Creation of Sustained Demand

Residents of cities wish for this cycle to repeat, but it is not easy. Previously inexpensive land prices have risen, and available lands in surrounding areas have already been utilized in various ways during the city's initial growth. Cities grow again only if there are advantages that offset the increased costs or confidence in future value, but such luck is very rare. Representative examples include Pangyo, where companies offering good jobs continuously move in, and Gangil District at the eastern edge of Seoul, where a new urban area or new town has been developed nearby, creating a large single living zone and transforming the periphery into the center.

Recently, there have been various controversies surrounding Sejong Special Self-Governing City. These include the establishment of an administrative capital with the relocation of multiple institutions including the National Assembly, and the soaring housing prices in the Sejong area. As everyone knows, Sejong was initially planned as a capital relocation during the Roh Moo-hyun administration but was changed to an administrative city with only some government ministries relocating after the Constitutional Court ruled the relocation unconstitutional. After many twists and turns, administrative agencies began moving in 2012, but most were skeptical whether a city composed of only a small number of civil servants and their families could properly establish itself. However, over time, the seemingly reckless goal of reaching a population of 300,000 by 2020 was successfully achieved, and the final goal of 500,000 population is expected to be fully attainable. What has driven this change?

Choi Jun-young, Senior Advisor at Yulchon LLC

The first factor is continuous investment. Sustained investment is necessary for urban growth. New towns often fail to receive planned investments after the initial phase. Investments should be made using funds secured from land sales, but this process often does not proceed smoothly. Insufficient infrastructure, including metropolitan transportation networks, blocks the creation of additional demand, creating a vicious cycle that makes land sales?the future investment resource?difficult. In contrast, Sejong has succeeded in continuously generating demand and attracting population through ongoing national investment and infrastructure expansion.

Relatively Comfortable Residential Conditions
Compared to Adjacent Cities like Daejeon and Cheongju

The second factor is the relative advantage in living conditions compared to neighboring large cities. Sejong is adjacent to Daejeon Metropolitan City, Cheongju, and Gongju. Daejeon has a population of 1.53 million, and Cheongju is also a large city with over 800,000 residents, accounting for more than half of North Chungcheong Province's population. However, the living conditions in these traditional large cities showed limitations in meeting consumer demands. Redevelopment and maintenance of aging residential and downtown areas were needed but did not proceed properly due to lack of profitability. In this context, Sejong emerged as an attractive option for consumers seeking comfortable living conditions. The relatively low proportion of dual-income households compared to the Seoul metropolitan area also made relocation decisions easier. By tolerating a slight increase in commuting time, residents could secure comfortable living conditions, and with rising property prices, relocation demand further increased.

The third factor is trust in future potential changes. Although somewhat slow, investments are proceeding as planned, and the growing population provides confidence that more changes will continue. The completion of living zones 1 to 3, along with ongoing or planned projects for zones 4 to 6, serves as a driving force to overcome the expansion limitations experienced by other new towns. Continuous change, rather than short-term development, enables the circulation of internal urban spatial structures and creates new opportunities. The relocation of the administrative capital accelerates these changes but does not create changes that would not have otherwise occurred.

Positive Formation of a Central Region Hub City,
But Widening Gaps with Surrounding Cities
May Cause Side Effects

Sejong's growth is positively viewed as the formation of a new central region hub city. The formation of a living zone with a population of 3 million, connecting Daejeon, Sejong, and Cheongju, is expected to enable the creation of new regional hubs alongside changes in the national spatial structure, complementing the Seoul metropolitan area and the southeastern region.

However, concerns arise as Sejong is increasingly likely to become the 'Gangnam of the Chungcheong region.' The concern stems from the fact that Sejong's population growth mainly comes from neighboring cities rather than the Seoul metropolitan area. In fact, roads heading to Daejeon and Cheongju in the morning experience congestion. It is also true that adjacent cities feel threatened as higher-income and stable job holders relocate to Sejong. Just as the development of Gangnam in Seoul caused disparities between Gangnam and Gangbuk areas, Sejong's development could also widen regional disparities.

The development of Gangnam in Seoul became a driving force for Seoul's growth into an international city after 40 years. However, we all also feel the side effects it caused. It is time to pay attention to the path Sejong, growing as the Gangnam of the Chungcheong region, should take and how it should proceed.

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