Sejong, South Korea – By the standards of Seoul’s teeming metropolises, Sejong is not very much of a city.
Sejong, a planned city located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Seoul, does not even make the top 20 urban centers, with a population of 400 000 people.
Sejong could soon become the nation’s “de facto” capital, if South Korea’s most likely next leader has his way.
In response to a renewed push to find a new administrative capital, Lee Jae-myung, the clear favorite in Tuesday’s presidential election, has pledged to relocate Sejong’s presidential office, legislature, and numerous public institutions.
In the run-up to the election, Lee vowed to make Sejong the de facto administrative capital and Daejeon the world center of science.
Through social consensus, I’ll also advocate for the complete relocation of the presidential office and the National Assembly to Sejong.
Late President Roh Moo-hyun, who argued that moving the capital would help promote development in South Korea’s central region and ease congestion, came up with the idea for Sejong in 2003.
The following year, the Constitutional Court decided that Seoul should remain Sejong, which set back Roh’s plans for Sejong.
Seoul has remained Seoul’s official capital as well as the center of political, economic, and cultural life despite the relocation of the prime minister’s office and about a dozen ministries over the years as a result of decentralization efforts by successive governments.
About 26 million people live in Greater Seoul, making up the majority of South Korea’s population, and the majority of the region’s top businesses, universities, hospitals, and cultural institutions are clustered there.
Sejong’s broad streets, which were mostly quiet on a recent Friday afternoon, were a world away from Seoul’s bustling alleyways.
A number of government employees were waiting for a bus to the capital at the city’s express bus station.
At least twice a month, Kevin Kim, a 30-year-old civil servant, spends the weekend in Seoul.
Kim, who has resided in Sejong for almost two years, told Al Jazeera, “My family, friends, and girlfriend are in Seoul.”
“I have to go to Seoul because there are so many big hospitals there.”
Lee Ho-baek, a start-up employee in Sejong, also makes monthly trips to Seoul.
He claimed that despite moving to Sejong a year ago, there simply isn’t enough amenities or activities for us in the city.
Candidate Lee’s pledge has sparked tentative signs of city growth after years of stumbling blocks to Sejong’s development, including concerns about costs and constitutional legitimacy.
Real estate transactions increased by threefold in April from the same time last year.
Sejong’s future is uncertain because of its ties to changing political whims, but its long-term viability is a concern.
Apartment prices increased by 45 percent during discussions about the Democratic Party’s potential 2020 re-election of the presidential office and legislature, but they also dropped by 45 percent in the following years.
As Friday afternoon turned into evening, the streets of Sejong’s Nasung-dong, a popular neighborhood dotted with parks, shopping centers, and flashy apartments, were quiet.
The highly anticipated multifunctional mall M-Bridge, which had been designed by the firm of global architect Thom Mayne, was largely deserted.
The highest rate in the country is 25 percent vacancy rate for medium- to large-sized shopping centers, according to the Korea Real Estate Board.
Young people are fewer attractive in comparison.
According to Jace Kim, a restaurant owner who visited Sejong in 2015, “weekdays are busier than weekends in our city.”
The majority of city employees “spend their time and money elsewhere.” Given that our city is relatively undeveloped and newly constructed, it makes for a great place for mothers and children. However, there are no major universities or businesses that will draw young people here.
Washington, DC, according to Moon Yoon-sang, a research fellow at the Korea Development Institute (KDI).
It’s hoped that Sejong will host conventions and significant meetings instead of Seoul, Moon said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
Although there are only two major hotels in the city right now, the National Assembly’s relocation is anticipated to have a significant impact.
Sejong’s mayor, Park Jin, a professor at KDI’s School of Public Policy and Management, said he supports the designation.
Relocating the capital would require a constitutional amendment that would need to be approved by the majority of the voters in a referendum and two-thirds of the National Assembly.
In a survey conducted by Hankook Research in 2022, 54.9 percent of respondents said they were against moving the capital to Sejong, but 51.7 percent opposed removing Seoul’s National Assembly and the president’s office.
Seoul’s talent pool and essential infrastructure are all retained by the country, according to Park, who told Al Jazeera. “The country needs to invest in developing our other major cities.”
“For Sejong, combining with Daejeon to become the nation’s center for administrative and research,” says Daejeon.
To maintain healthy urbanization, Park believes that the country’s five major cities outside of the greater Seoul area should have at least 4 million residents.
The second-largest city in South Korea, Busan, has 3.26 million residents. Due to record-low birth rates and a declining young workforce, the Korea Employment Information Service officially declared Busan a potential extinction site last year.
Internal migration to Seoul has exacerbated the country’s regional population declines even more. Last year, more than 418, 000 people re-located to the capital.
By 2040, Sejong hopes to have 800,000 residents, roughly twice as many as it currently does.
“Today, there are many people who won’t consider immigrating to Sejong. It’s very challenging for both members of married couples to find jobs outside of Seoul in a time when both are expected to be employed, Moon said.
“We might see differences in how people view Sejong in the next ten years.”
According to Park, building a city from scratch is not a quick project.
Source: Aljazeera
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