Daejeon City and Defense Acquisition Program Administration Confirm Relocation to 'Government Daejeon Complex'

Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon, is taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement regarding the relocation of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to Daejeon with Eom Dong-hwan, Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (first from the left), and Seo Cheol-mo, Mayor of Seo-gu (third from the left) at Daejeon City Hall on the 15th. Photo by Daejeon City.

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] It has been confirmed that the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will relocate to the Government Complex Daejeon. With the relocation site finalized, the timeline for the agency's move is expected to accelerate.

On the 15th, according to Daejeon City, the city, DAPA, and Seo-gu Office signed a business agreement confirming the relocation of DAPA to the vacant site of the Government Complex Daejeon.

According to the agreement, DAPA plans to move some departments, including the command headquarters, to the Korea Racing Authority building located in Wolpyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon, in the first half of next year (scheduled), and complete the full relocation to a newly constructed building within the Government Complex Daejeon by 2027.

To this end, the city will cooperate in the construction of the new building for DAPA's relocation and the tasks necessary for the first phase of the move, as well as support the stable settlement of relocating employees in the region.

Additionally, Seo-gu Office will support the move by assisting with occupancy, employee residential space information, permits and approvals related to the new building construction, and the stable settlement of relocating employees, together with the city.

The city, DAPA, and Seo-gu Office will also form and operate a working-level council. This council will serve as a bridge to enable effective cooperation among the three institutions.

The city expects that DAPA's relocation to Daejeon will create a synergy effect that enhances defense industry competitiveness, linked with the defense industry cluster development project within the Ansan Industrial Complex.

Previously, the city had been searching for a relocation site for DAPA with the priority on a swift move. Candidate sites included the Government Complex Daejeon, Ansan Advanced Defense Industrial Complex (planned in Ansan-dong and Oesam-dong, Yuseong-gu), and the former Ssangyong Research Institute within the Daedeok Special Zone.

Among these, the Government Complex Daejeon was favored over other candidates due to its stable living infrastructure and the possibility of proceeding quickly with the relocation process following the confirmation of the relocation plan.

Since public institutions such as City Hall and courts are gathered near the Government Complex Daejeon, and accessibility to apartments, schools, and hospitals is excellent, it was judged that the agency's relocation and the stable settlement of relocating employees in the area would be facilitated.

With the relocation site for DAPA finalized, the city plans to include the budget for DAPA's relocation in next year's government budget proposal, enabling continuous progress in design and construction.

Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon, said, "On behalf of the citizens of Daejeon, I deeply thank DAPA and its employees who decided to relocate to Daejeon, leaving behind their stable living environments. The city will support DAPA to successfully settle in Daejeon and strive to help Daejeon grow into a core city of the domestic defense industry."

Meanwhile, DAPA's relocation to Daejeon gained momentum with the support of President Yoon Seok-yeol. Last month, Mayor Lee Jang-woo secured a promise from President Yoon during a phone call to relocate DAPA to Daejeon and to increase the initial budget related to the relocation (design costs, etc., from 12 billion KRW to 21 billion KRW). In the competition among Daejeon, Nonsan in Chungnam, and Changwon in Gyeongnam to attract DAPA, the move to Daejeon has been virtually confirmed.

Subsequently, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport officially confirmed and announced the relocation of DAPA to Daejeon on the 31st of last month, solidifying DAPA's move to Daejeon. DAPA operates with about 1,600 employees across 107 divisions in 3 headquarters. Its annual budget is reported to be approximately 16.7 trillion KRW.

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