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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

South Korea to begin early relocation of public agencies next year, even through leased offices

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • South Korea plans to minimize the number of public institutions left in the Seoul metropolitan area during its second regional relocation program.
  • The government will begin early relocations next year without waiting for new government buildings, using leased private offices where necessary.
  • Related institutions will be grouped in existing innovation cities, while the government plans public consultation before announcing a final relocation plan by the end of the year.

South Korea says it will not wait for new government buildings before starting the next round of public-agency relocations. It plans to begin early moves next year, including into leased private buildings.

Land Minister Kim Yun-duk announced five guiding principles for the second relocation of public institutions at a government news conference in Seoul. He said the government would fully review the criteria used to decide which institutions stayed behind during the first relocation.

Unless an institution must remain, it will in principle be included among those subject to relocation.

· Kim Yun-dukThe land minister described the government’s plan to reduce the number of agencies remaining in the capital region.

“Unless an institution must remain, it will in principle be included among those subject to relocation,” Kim said. The first relocation, carried out from 2005 to 2019, took more than seven years from the announcement of the plan to the actual moves. The new approach aims to increase the pace by allowing institutions to move before purpose-built offices are completed.

We will begin leading relocations immediately from next year by using leased private buildings rather than waiting for new offices, as we did during the first relocation from 2005 to 2019.

· Kim Yun-dukKim explained how the government intends to accelerate the second relocation program.

The government also plans to offer new allowances. In addition to the relocation subsidies and moving expenses provided during the first round, employees could receive a distance-based allowance of up to 200,000 won per month for two years, as well as an early-relocation allowance of up to 500,000 won per month for two years.

Functionally related institutions will be placed together, mainly in existing innovation cities, with their locations determined by the government’s planned five-region, three-special-zone growth strategy and existing innovation-city groupings. The government also wants relocated agencies to work more closely with local universities and industries, while central and local authorities improve transport, education, health care and cultural facilities. It will begin consultations with local governments and labor groups before announcing the final plan later this year.

Balanced national development is a task of the times and an urgent national survival strategy that can no longer be postponed.

· Kim Yun-dukThe minister framed the relocation plan as part of the government’s broader regional-development policy.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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