South Korea to Move 44 Agencies, 9,929 Civil Servants to Sejong From 2026; FSC, PIPC First

Justice Ministry and Gender Equality Ministry to set timetable in line with legal revisions

Foreign, defense and police agencies to relocate after new office buildings are completed

South Korea will begin relocating 44 central government agencies still based in the Seoul metropolitan area to Sejong on a phased basis starting next year. The move covers 9,929 civil servants based on authorized staffing levels. The Financial Services Commission and the Personal Information Protection Commission will move first using leased office space, while the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and National Police Agency will relocate after separate office buildings are built.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the plan on Oct. 13 as part of a detailed second-phase relocation roadmap for central administrative agencies. The aim is to streamline an administrative system split between the capital region and Sejong and strengthen government operations centered on Sejong.

A total of 27 agencies, accounting for 2,995 staff, are set to relocate next year. In the first half, six bodies will move first: the Korea Communications Commission, the Personal Information Protection Commission, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, the National Education Commission and the Overseas Koreans Agency. In the second half, the government plans to move 19 additional bodies, including the Financial Services Commission, along with affiliated agencies and advisory committees.

The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, both included among the 27 agencies, will determine their relocation timing in line with revisions to the Happy City Act. Under current law, the two ministries are classified as exempt from relocation, meaning legal changes must come first.

Another 17 agencies, with 6,934 staff, will relocate in stages after new standalone office buildings are completed because their work requires dedicated facilities for investigations, security or control operations. They include the Foreign Ministry, Unification Ministry, Defense Ministry, Board of Audit and Inspection, National Police Agency, Public Prosecution Office, Major Crimes Investigation Office and Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials. The government plans to begin the building process next year and is targeting relocation around 2031.

Construction of the office buildings is estimated to cost about $2.24 billion. The government plans to allocate about $20.7 million in next year's budget for basic design work. It also estimated about $64.8 million in costs next year for leased office space, operations and relocation support for civil servants.

Relocating civil servants and their families will receive moving expenses and initial settlement support. The government is also reviewing temporary transportation support for employees who cannot move immediately because of housing arrangements or the timing of their children's school terms.

The government plans to consult with the National Assembly on revisions to the Happy City Act to remove the Foreign Ministry, Unification Ministry, Defense Ministry, Justice Ministry and Ministry of Gender Equality and Family from the list of exempt agencies, as well as on securing the budget. Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung said the government would push ahead with the relocation while ensuring all necessary preparations are in place to minimize public inconvenience and help relocated agencies settle smoothly.

Kim Young-ri, Hankyung.com reporter smartkim@hankyung.com