Prime Minister Chung: "Significant Administrative Inefficiency and Waste... Urgent Need to Establish 'National Assembly Sejong Chamber'" (Update)

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun stated on the 27th, "The National Assembly and the executive branch are located far apart, causing significant administrative inefficiency and waste," adding, "The establishment of the 'National Assembly Sejong Chamber' is an urgent task."

At the 20th Sejong Special Self-Governing City Support Committee held at the Government Sejong Complex that day, Prime Minister Chung said, "If the National Assembly decides to establish the National Assembly Sejong Chamber, the government will promptly take follow-up measures."

He expressed, "Since the construction of the National Assembly building requires a long period for design and construction, it is necessary to urgently amend related laws such as the National Assembly Act and quickly finalize the specific construction scale and location."

He continued, "I expect the National Assembly to form a 'Special Committee for the Completion of the Administrative Capital' through bipartisan agreement and come up with good plans."

Prime Minister Chung explained, "For balanced national development, the Happy City, which began construction in 2007, will complete its second phase by the end of this year. During this time, 44 central administrative agencies and 15 national research institutes, totaling about 20,000 public officials, have relocated," adding, "The city infrastructure has been rapidly established, and Sejong City’s population has dramatically increased from 100,000 to 350,000, transforming it into the youngest city with the highest birth rate."

However, he mentioned, "There are still many shortcomings in self-sufficient functions as a city, such as businesses, universities, culture, and medical services, and many aspects fall short of citizens' expectations."

He added, "During the final third phase of construction scheduled from next year until 2030, these deficiencies must be focused on and supplemented," emphasizing, "We will further strengthen the national administrative hub functions and expand self-sufficiency through the creation of a smart city and joint campus."

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