Sejong, South Korea – By the requirements of South Korea’s teeming metropolises, Sejong just isn’t a lot of a metropolis.
With a inhabitants of 400,000 individuals, Sejong, a deliberate metropolis positioned about 100km (62 miles) south of Seoul, doesn’t even crack the highest 20 city centres.
But when South Korea’s doubtless subsequent president has his means, Sejong may quickly change into the nation’s “de facto” capital.
Lee Jae-myung, the overwhelming favorite in Tuesday’s presidential election, has pledged to relocate the presidential workplace, legislature and quite a few public establishments to Sejong as a part of a renewed push to ascertain a brand new administrative capital.
“I’ll make Sejong the de facto administrative capital and Daejeon a worldwide science capital,” Lee stated within the run-up to the election, referring to the close by central metropolis.
“I can even push for the entire relocation of the Nationwide Meeting and presidential workplace to Sejong by way of social consensus.”
Sejong was conceived of in 2003 by late President Roh Moo-hyun, who believed that shifting the capital would obtain the dual goals of lowering congestion in Seoul and inspiring improvement in South Korea’s central area.
Roh’s ambitions for Sejong have been dealt a setback the next 12 months when the Constitutional Court docket dominated that Seoul ought to stay the capital.
Whereas the prime minister’s workplace and a couple of dozen ministries have moved to Sejong through the years as a part of successive governments’ decentralisation efforts, Seoul has remained not solely the official capital but additionally the centre of political, financial and cultural life.
Higher Seoul is house to about 26 million individuals – half of South Korea’s inhabitants – and a lot of the nation’s prime firms, universities, hospitals and cultural establishments are clustered within the area.
On a current Friday afternoon, Sejong’s huge streets have been principally quiet, a world away from the bustling alleyways of downtown Seoul.
On the metropolis’s categorical bus station, numerous authorities employees have been ready on a bus to take them to the capital.
Kevin Kim, a 30-year-old civil servant, travels to Seoul for the weekend no less than twice a month.
“My household, associates and girlfriend are in Seoul,” Kim, who has lived in Sejong for almost two years, instructed Al Jazeera.
“I’ve to go to Seoul, as all the large hospitals are there.”
Lee Ho-baek, who works for a start-up in Sejong, additionally visits Seoul a number of occasions a month.
“There simply isn’t sufficient infrastructure or issues to do within the metropolis for us,” he instructed Al Jazeera, explaining that he’s undecided if he’ll keep for much longer regardless of having moved to Sejong solely a 12 months in the past.
After years of roadblocks to Sejong’s improvement, together with considerations about prices and constitutional legitimacy, candidate Lee’s pledge has stirred tentative indicators of development within the metropolis.
In April, actual property transactions elevated threefold in contrast with the identical interval the earlier 12 months.
However with Sejong’s fortunes so intently tied to the altering whims of politicians, there are considerations about its long-term sustainability.
Throughout discussions in regards to the attainable relocation of the presidential workplace and legislature by Lee Jae-myung’s Democratic Celebration in 2020, condo costs jumped by 45 p.c – solely to say no within the following years.
In Sejong’s Nasung-dong, a central neighbourhood surrounded by parks, buying centres and flashy flats, the streets have been quiet as Friday afternoon was night.
M-Bridge, a extremely anticipated multifunctional mall designed by world architect Thom Mayne’s agency, was largely empty.
In accordance with the Korea Actual Property Board, Sejong has a 25 p.c emptiness charge for mid- to large-sized buying centres, the very best charge within the nation.
Few attracts for younger individuals
“In our metropolis, the weekdays are busier than the weekends,” Jace Kim, a restaurant proprietor who got here to Sejong in 2015, instructed Al Jazeera.
“Most public employees who work inside the metropolis spend their money and time exterior of town limits. Our metropolis is comparatively small and newly constructed, so it’s best for moms and kids. However we don’t have any universities or main firms that may entice younger individuals to come back right here.”
Moon Yoon-sang, a analysis fellow on the Korea Growth Institute (KDI), stated Washington, DC, may very well be a mannequin for Sejong’s development and improvement.
“If the centre of the federal government strikes to Sejong, it’s the hope that conventions and vital conferences will occur there as a substitute of in Seoul,” Moon instructed Al Jazeera.
“Right now, there are solely two main lodges within the metropolis, however individuals are anticipating a monumental impact with the shifting of the Nationwide Meeting.”
Park Jin, a professor at KDI’s College of Public Coverage and Administration, stated he helps Sejong turning into the official capital.
After the 2004 Constitutional Court docket ruling, relocating the capital would require an modification to the structure, which might must be accepted by two-thirds of the Nationwide Meeting and half of voters in a referendum.
In a 2022 survey by Hankook Analysis, 54.9 p.c of respondents stated they accepted of shifting the capital to Sejong, however 51.7 p.c disapproved of shifting the Nationwide Meeting and the president’s workplace out of Seoul.
“As the entire nation’s expertise pool and key infrastructure are staying inside Seoul, the nation must spend money on growing our different main cities,” Park instructed Al Jazeera.
“For Sejong, this implies combining with neighbouring Daejeon to change into the nation’s centre for administration and analysis.”
Park believes that the nation’s 5 main cities exterior the better Seoul space ought to have no less than 4 million residents to keep up wholesome urbanisation.
Busan, South Korea’s second-largest metropolis, has 3.26 million individuals. Final 12 months, the Korea Employment Data Service formally categorised Busan as being vulnerable to extinction resulting from record-low start charges and a declining younger workforce.
Inhabitants declines in regional elements of the nation have been additional exacerbated by inside migration to Seoul. Greater than 418,000 individuals moved to the capital area final 12 months.
Sejong has a purpose of reaching 800,000 residents by 2040, roughly double its present inhabitants.
“Right now, many individuals received’t take into consideration shifting to Sejong. In an age the place it’s anticipated for each members of married {couples} to be working, it’s very tough for each members to seek out jobs exterior of Seoul,” Moon stated.
“Possibly within the subsequent 10 years, we would see variations in how individuals view Sejong.”
Park stated growing a metropolis from scratch just isn’t a short-term venture.
“However with the relocation of the capital, we are able to count on some actual modifications to occur,” he stated.
