Sejong or Sejong City (; ), officially Sejong Special Self-Governing City (), is a special self-governing city and the ''de facto'' administrative capital of

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

. Sejong was founded in 2007 as the new planned capital of South Korea from many parts of the

South Chungcheong Province South Chungcheong Province (), informally called Chungnam, is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, province of South Korea in the Hoseo region in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. South Chungcheong borders the provinces of Gyeonggi to ...

and some parts of

North Chungcheong Province North Chungcheong Province (), also known as Chungbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Chungcheong has a population of 1,578,934 (2014) and has a geographic area of located in the Hoseo region on the south-centre of the Korean Peninsula. No ...

to ease congestion in South Korea's current capital and largest city,

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, and encourage investment in the country's central region. Since 2012, the

government of South Korea The government of South Korea () is the national government of the Republic of Korea, created by the Constitution of South Korea as the executive, legislative and judicial authority of the republic. The president acts as the head of state and ...

has relocated numerous ministries and agencies to Sejong, but many still reside in other cities, primarily Seoul, where the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

and many important government bodies remain. Sejong has a population of 351,007 as of 2020 and covers a geographic area of 465.23 km² (179.63

sq mi The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi2)Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an imperial and US unit of measure for area. One square mile is equa ...

), making it the least-populous and smallest first-level

administrative division Administrative divisions (also administrative units, administrative regions, subnational entities, or constituent states, as well as many similar generic terms) are geographical areas into which a particular independent sovereign state is divi ...

in South Korea. Sejong is located in the west-central

Hoseo Hoseo (; ) is a region coinciding with the former Chungcheong Province in what is now South Korea. Also, Daejeon is Hoseo. Today, the term refers to Daejeon, Sejong City, South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong Provinces. Hoseo people use Chungc ...

region, bordering South Chungcheong to the west,

Daejeon Daejeon (; ) is South Korea's list of cities in South Korea, fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of nearly 1.5 million. Located in a central lowland valley between the Sobaek Mountains and the Geum River, the city is known both as a ...

to the south, and North Chungcheong to the east. The construction of the city is expected to be completed in 2030, at which time 500,000 people are expected to live there.

Name

Sejong was named in honor of King

Sejong the Great Sejong (; 15 May 1397 – 8 April 1450), commonly known as Sejong the Great (), was the fourth monarch of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is regarded as the greatest ruler in Korean history, and is remembered as the inventor of Hangu ...

, the fourth king of the

Joseon Dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

and creator of the Korean alphabet,

Hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

. The city was formed by combining Yeongi County, the county of South Chungcheong Province from which the majority of the city's territory was ceded, and other counties.

History

In 2003, then-President

Roh Moo-hyun Roh Moo-hyun (, ; 1 September 1946 – 23 May 2009) was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the ninth president of South Korea from 2003 to 2008. Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for ...

sought to relocate the national capital of

from the metropolitan city of

to a new multifunctional administrative city in the center of the country. The goal was to reduce the influence and dominance of Seoul on national governance and economics, whilst promoting the regional development of other areas of the country. According to the former Interior Minister Maeng Hyung-gyu in 2012, "Sejong is a symbol of the country's efforts toward more balanced regional development," helping to decongest Seoul and spur investment in the country's central region. In October 2004, the

Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...

dealt a setback to President Roh's plans, ruling that the capital must remain in Seoul in response to a complaint filed by the main opposition, the conservative

Grand National Party The Liberty Korea Party () was a conservative political party in South Korea that was described variously as right-wing, right-wing populist, or far-right. Until February 2017, it was known as the Saenuri Party (), and before that as the Han ...

. As such, the Roh administration was forced to modify the project to relocate the majority of government ministries and institutions to Sejong, which would become a special administrative city instead of a new capital. The revised plan was approved by the National Assembly in March 2005. Challenges to the new plan were rejected by the Constitutional Court in November 2005. When the Grand National Party retook the presidential office in 2008, then-President

Lee Myung-bak Lee Myung-bak (; born 19 December 1941), often referred to by his initials MB, is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the tenth president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engi ...

opposed the idea of moving government agencies, claiming that it would hurt Seoul's global competitiveness and result in inefficiency. Following Lee's directions, plans were made to make Sejong an industrial, science and education hub instead. This plan was opposed by many, including Roh's allies and some members of the ruling Grand National Party, including Lee's arch-rival and eventual successor,

Park Geun-hye Park Geun-hye (; ; born 2 February 1952) is a South Korean politician who served as the 11th president of South Korea from 2013 until Impeachment of Park Geun-hye, she was removed from office in 2017. Park was the first and to date only woman ...

. Defeat in the mid-2010 local elections forced Lee to present his proposal to the National Assembly where it was voted down. In December 2008, construction for the Sejong Government Complex started. After level 1 of the construction was completed in November 2012, level 2 was finished in November 2013, and finished construction in November 2014. In July 2012, Sejong Special Self-Governing City was created by combining all of Yeongi County, three townships of

Gongju Gongju (; ) is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. History Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun the previ ...

and one township of

Cheongwon County Cheongwon County () was a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It was dissolved on July 1, 2014 and consolidated to Cheongju. Government The Korea Food and Drug Administration (later Ministry of Food and Drug Safety), and K ...

. Jochiwon was the main city within Yeongi. In April 2013, the city government of

Putrajaya Putrajaya (), officially the Federal Territory of Putrajaya (), is the administrative centre of Malaysia. The Seat of government, seat of the Government of Malaysia, federal government of Malaysia was moved in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajay ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

signed a

letter of intent A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term she ...

(LOI) with the government of Sejong City to mark cooperation between the two planned capitals. , 12 ministries were relocated to the city. As such, only 5 ministries continue to remain in Seoul; the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

Ministry of Unification The Ministry of Unification () is an executive department of the South Korean government aimed at promoting Korean reunification. It was first established in 1969 as the ''National Unification Board'', under the rule of Park Chung Hee. It gaine ...

Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

Ministry of National Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divide ...

, and

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF; ), formerly the Ministry of Gender Equality (), is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. It was created on February 28, 1998, as the Presidential Commission on Women's Affair ...

. Sejong was specifically designed to be a "

smart city A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technology to collect data and operate services. Data is collected from citizens, devices, buildings, or cameras. Applications include traffic and transportation systems, power plants, utilities ...

", and is sometimes referred to as Sejong smart city. It is the leading smart city in Korea, and is often held up as the standard for other cities experimenting with the development of smart city infrastructure. By 2019, there was disagreement among experts as to whether Sejong has "lived up to expectations". Sejong uses its new development to market itself as an alternative to Seoul, offering luxury living at a fraction of the cost. It boasts shiny state-of-the-art condominiums, ample public green space and smart and sustainable city tech, like automated trash collection and zero-waste food disposal,

electric car An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is a passenger car, passenger automobile that is propelled by an electric motor, electric traction motor, using electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion. The term normally refers to a p ...

charging and sharing stations, solar-powered buildings, interactive digital signage, closed-circuit television security and fine dust emergency alerts. It has sparked criticism that the new city is not only too lackluster to draw residents away from Seoul, but also difficult to access and poorly designed"

Geography

Sejong is surrounded by the two provinces of

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and North Chungcheong, as well as the metropolitan city of

. It is about south from

.Harlan, Chico (Contributing: Yoonjung Seo)
With new Sejong City, South Korean government aims to rebalance power
" ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''. August 17, 2012. Retrieved on December 31, 2013. "But critics — including President Lee Myung-bak, who did not attend a recent launch ceremony here — say it's crazy to set parts of the administration 75 miles apart." The city covers a total area of approximately 465 square kilometers, composed of urbanized zones, administrative complexes, and expansive greenbelt areas. Sejong’s urban planning follows an environmentally integrated approach, incorporating large-scale green belts, parks, and waterways. Over 50% of its land is reserved for forests, public parks, ecological

wetlands A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

, and pedestrian-friendly zones. Geographically, the area is largely defined by gentle hills, river valleys, and fertile plains, formerly used for agriculture before the city's development. The Miho River, a tributary of the Geum River, flows through the city, and is a huge aspect of both the green landscape and the water management network of the region. The topography and layout of the city has effectively been transformed during the development process, with much of the land being manipulated and rearranged to prepare the land for an ecological landscape where built space and green space could co-exist.

Parks

Sejong City features multiple parks open to everyone. One of the premier parks is lakeside Sejong Lake Park, located at the heart of Korea's largest artificial lake, which is the size equivalent to 62 soccer fields and has an average water depth of 3 meters. Sejong Lake Park also boasts five artificial islands: Festival Island, which hosts events and cultural festivals; Stage Island, which features Korea's first floating stage; Pool Island, which creates a beach feel in the city; Water Flower Island, and Marsh Island with aquatic vegetation and an ecological marshland. In terms of recreation, there is a walking/running track and a dedicated bike lane that surrounds the lake, giving citizens someplace outdoor to walk, bike, and relax. Bear Tree Park is a nature and wildlife park covering a total space of about 100,000 square meters in Sejong City, Korea. The park features around 1,000 species of flowers and trees, providing visitors with a wide selection of natural beauty and wild flowers along with art sculptures out of original materials. This collection of nature and attractions is very appealing to families and tourists with the combination of nature and the structured content of the park. Asiatic Black Bear Hill houses approximately 150 Asiatic black bears, which are the mascot of the park, and provides a permanent exhibit of the park's featured animal. There is a Pet Zoo in the park, allowing visitors to see animals up close, such as peacocks and spotted deer. The park area also has an Arboretum displaying themed areas, including areas to see rare plants and animals as well as cared for flower and trees.

Climate

Sejong City has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dwa''), typical of central inland regions of the

Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

, but can be considered a borderline

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

: ''Cwa'') using the isotherm. Winters are cold and dry, with January being the coldest month, averaging −2.7°C (27.1°F) in daily mean temperature and a mean minimum of −7.8°C (18.0°F). Snowfall is possible but typically light, and

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

is low, with only 22.6 mm on average in January. Spring brings gradual warming: average daily temperatures rise from 5.5°C (41.9°F) in March to 17.4°C (63.3°F) in May. Rainfall also increases, with May receiving 86.5 mm (3.41 in) of precipitation over an average of 6.9 days. Summers are hot and rainy due to the East Asian monsoon. July is the warmest and wettest month, with a daily mean temperature of 25.4°C (77.7°F) and average precipitation of 284.9 mm (11.22 in). August follows closely with 260.3 mm of rain, making these two months responsible for nearly half of the city's annual rainfall. Autumn is cooler and drier, with September averaging 19.8°C (67.6°F) and rainfall dropping to 141.2 mm, then further declining to 58.4 mm in October. Clear skies and crisp air make this season particularly pleasant. Sejong receives about 1,204.9 mm (47.44 in) of precipitation annually, spread over 90.3 days with measurable rainfall. The climate is well-suited to the city's large green spaces, parks, and ecological preservation zones, and supports a comfortable urban environment for residents and visitors alike.

Administrative divisions

Sejong is divided into 14 '' haengjeong-dong'' (administrative neighborhoods), 1 '' eup'' (town) and 9 '' myeon'' (townships). the city main urban centre. * Note: there are no

Hanja Hanja (; ), alternatively spelled Hancha, are Chinese characters used to write the Korean language. After characters were introduced to Korea to write Literary Chinese, they were adapted to write Korean as early as the Gojoseon period. () ...

for Hansol, Dodam, Areum, Goun, Boram, Saerom, Sodam, Dajeong, Eojin, or Haemil as they are native Korean words.

Demographics

The city aimed to have a population of 200,000 in 2012, 300,000 by 2020 and 500,000 by 2030. In 2017, it had a population of 281,120.Toponymic Guidelines for Map and Other Editors For International Use Republic of Korea, Second Edition
p. 39. , Sejong had a population of 351,007. , Sejong had a higher proportion of children than the South Korean average.

Religion

The census from 2015 indicated that the majority of Sejong residents did not belong to any particular religion. Protestantism was the most common religion with around 19.9% of the population being adherents, followed by Buddhism at 13.9% and Roman Catholicism at 7.9%.

Government buildings

The South Korean government plans to move 36 government ministries and agencies to Sejong City. Government Complex Sejong is located in Sejong City. The complex, on a plot of land, has seven stories and one basement. Construction began in November 2011 in what was

, and the complex was completed on November 16, 2013. The ceremony to mark the movement of several government agencies to the complex occurred on December 23, 2013. Government Complex Sejong includes the head offices of: * Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) * Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) *

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

(MOE) * Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) * Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) * Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) * Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) * Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) * Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) * Ministry of Environment (ME) *

Ministry of Employment and Labor Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL; ) is a cabinet-level ministry of the government of South Korea that oversees labor-related affairs. Its predecessor agency, the Division of Labor, was established under the direction of the Minister of S ...

(MOEL) * Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) * Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) * Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) * Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) * Ministry of Personnel Management (MPM) * Ministry of Government Legislation (MOLEG) *

National Tax Service The National Tax Service () is the tax organization in South Korea and is run under the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The headquarters are in Sejong City. Whistleblower reward program Whistleblowers can be eligible for rewards under reward ...

(NTS) *

National Agency for Administrative City Construction The National Agency for Administrative City Construction (NAACC; ) is an organization under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (South Korea), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport responsible for completing the Multifunc ...

(NAACC) * Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) * Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) Several MOLIT agencies, the Korea Office of Civil Aviation (KOCA), the

Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal The Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal (KMST, ) is an agency of the government of South Korea that investigates maritime accidents. Its head office is in the Government Complex, Sejong, Sejong Government Office in Sejong City. It is subordinate to the ...

(KMST), and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB), have their headquarters in Government Complex Sejong.

Culture

Sejong Lake Park was completed in March 2013 and has various theme facilities in the park, including the square fountain. The size is 705,768m² and the lake area is 322,800m². The Sejong National Arboretum is the first urban arboretum in Korea and the largest indoor

arboretum An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...

in Korea. There are 1.72 million plants of 2834 species available. There is an admission fee of 5,000 won for adults.

Education

Universities

* KDI School of Public Policy and Management * Hongik University Sejong Campus * Korea University Sejong Campus * Global Consortium University * Daejeon Catholic University * Korea University of Media Arts

Transportation

Air

Sejong is served by Cheongju International Airport in

Cheongju Cheongju (; ) is the capital and largest list of cities in South Korea, city of North Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The 'Cheong' in the name of Chungcheong Province is the Cheong of Cheongju. History Cheongju has been an important prov ...

, the nearest airport to Sejong.

National railway

Sejong is centrally located on

Gyeongbu Line The Gyeongbu line (''Gyeongbuseon'') is a railway line in South Korea and is considered to be the most important and one of the oldest in the country. It was constructed in 1905, connecting Seoul with Busan via Suwon, Daejeon, and Daegu. It is ...

operated by

Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation () is the national railway operator in South Korea. It is branded as KORAIL () and changed its official Korean name () in November 2019. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, managed by Ministry of Land, ...

. It is a 90-minute journey on the

Mugunghwa-ho The Mugunghwa-ho () is a class of train operated by Korail, the main railway operator of South Korea. Mugunghwa trains are Korail's slowest tier of trains stopping at a number of towns and villages, and operating over a number of lines that are ...

and trains run approximately every 30 minutes. Located just outside Jochiwon-eup limits in Osong, Cheongwon has a KTX station named Osong Station which is a Korea Train Express bullet train that frequently travels . Osong station opened in 2010. There has also been some debate concerning opening another KTX station within the new Sejong City cl ose to the bus terminal to the south.

Daejeon subway Line 1

In April 2019, a feasibility study was completed and approved an extension of Daejeon Metro Line 1 from Banseok station in Daejeon, accessing the southern bus terminal in Sejong, and ending at the Government Complex Sejong. Of the five new stations that are set to open over the new 14 km of tracks, four of which will be in Sejong. Opening is tentatively set for 2029.

In popular culture

The 2015 tvN television series '' Let's Eat 2'' was based in Sejong. During the month of April, various Sejong Spring Festival celebrations were held throughout the city such as those celebrating cherry blossoms, peach blossoms, and flower arrangements. The 2018 Peace Spring Flower Festival of the Sejong Restoration Center was held under the sponsorship of the Jochiwon, Peach Festival Promotion Committee. It was prepared as a five-sensory satisfaction program to enjoy parts of nature such as peach flower, pear flower, mustard blossom, and to avoid becoming a performance-oriented festival.

Gallery

File:Sejong-si BRT Hyundai BlueCity.jpg, Sejong City's BRT File:Sejong Public Bicycle Ouling at Government Complex Sejong.jpg, Public bicycle in Sejong City File:First APT in Sejong City.jpg, Construction in Sejong City, November 2009

References

External links

*
Multifunctional Administrative City Construction Agency (MACCA)

{{Authority control 2007 establishments in South Korea Autonomous cities Planned capitals Planned communities in South Korea Self-governance Smart cities Cultural depictions of Sejong the Great