Sejong:Seoul The People Power Party (PPP) has strongly criticized the South Korean government's decision to relocate 44 ministries and agencies, including the foreign and defense ministries, to the central administrative city of Sejong by 2031.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the main opposition party expressed concerns that moving the key ministries responsible for foreign affairs and national defense could jeopardize national security. Rep. Joo Ho-young, a seasoned lawmaker and former vice speaker of the National Assembly, argued that relocating the defense ministry without proper national security measures could be tantamount to abandoning the defense of the capital.
During a news conference at the National Assembly, Joo highlighted the importance of having swift communication and decision-making capabilities during emergencies, especially given South Korea's ongoing armistice status. He also pointed out that Seoul houses embassies from 118 countries, implying that relocating the foreign ministry might lead to diplomatic inefficiencies or additional costs for embassies having to travel between Seoul and Sejong.
Joo emphasized that the relocation plan could endanger national security and people's lives, calling for the plan to be scrapped immediately. Rep. Lim Lee-ja, chair of the PPP's policy committee, also criticized the plan as "hasty and ill-conceived." She argued that moving 10,000 central government officials to Sejong would not effectively address housing prices in Seoul.
Lim accused President Lee Jae Myung of failing to accept the shortcomings of his real estate policies and of misplacing blame on the concentration of government functions in Seoul. She warned that relocating key ministries could undermine the government's ability to manage national security and crisis response.