Sejong City Support Team Merged Under Previous Administration, Criticism Over Loss of Policy Momentum for 'Sejong Administrative Capital'

Kang Junhyun Points Out Removal of Administrative Capital Indicators,
Reduction in Budget and Personnel

National Assembly member Junhyun Kang is questioning Director Changryul Yoon of the Office for Government Policy Coordination during a government audit. /Photo by Junhyun Kang Office

Kang Junhyun, secretary of the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee (Democratic Party of Korea, Sejong City-eul), pointed out during a parliamentary audit of the Office for Government Policy Coordination and other agencies on October 13 that “Although the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration set ‘completion of Sejong as the administrative capital’ as a national policy goal, it actually undermined policy momentum by merging the core organization, the Sejong City Support Team, into the Special Self-Governing City and Province Support Team.”

Assemblyman Kang stated, “During the two years under the Yoon administration (2023 and 2024), meetings of the Sejong City Support Committee were conducted only in writing, resulting in the loss of substantive discussion and reducing activities to formal reporting and inspections. If the support team continues to operate in this integrated form, it will be difficult to realize the completion of Sejong as the administrative capital, which is a key national policy goal for the Lee Jaemyung administration.”

He explained that immediately after the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in July 2022, the Sejong City Support Team was merged into the Special Self-Governing City and Province Support Team, resulting in a reduction of personnel from 14 to 6 and a budget cut from 300 million won to 66 million won.

He also pointed out that since 2023, key indicators such as the completion of the administrative capital infrastructure, construction of the National Assembly Sejong Office, establishment of the Presidential Sejong Office, and additional relocation of central government agencies have been entirely removed from the Sejong City performance evaluation criteria.

He added, “During the Moon Jae-in administration, detailed plans for completing the administrative capital were specified as evaluation criteria, but under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, even those traces are hard to find. To truly complete Sejong as the administrative capital, a concrete roadmap must be developed to ensure the full functioning of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches through projects such as the National Assembly Sejong Office, Presidential Sejong Office, creation of a national symbol zone, enactment of a special law for the administrative capital, and establishment of the Sejong District Court.”

He stressed the urgent need to normalize the organization of the Sejong City Support Team under the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

Director Changryul Yoon of the Office for Government Policy Coordination responded, “It is true that the Sejong City Support Team lacks sufficient personnel, but we will do our best under the current circumstances. We will continue to review the need for additional personnel and ensure that support for Sejong City is not neglected.”

Assemblyman Kang emphasized, “Completing the administrative capital is not just a local issue but a core element of balanced national development and a promise of a government based on popular sovereignty. The government must restore the functions of the Sejong City Support Team and, together with the National Assembly, redraw the big picture for the completion of the administrative capital.”

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