[Reporter’s Notebook] Legal Status as a Metropolitan City, the Loophole of a 390,000 Population

Sejong City, which was established in 2012 under the Special Act on the Establishment of Sejong Special Self-Governing City and the Special Act on the Construction of the Multifunctional Administrative City, has now reached its 13th year. Despite being launched as a symbol of local decentralization after much political wrangling, it remains a city with the legal status of a metropolitan area but with a population of less than 400,000.

During every presidential and National Assembly election over the past 13 years, Sejong, as the administrative capital, has been a key issue for all party candidates, and its completion has been a central campaign pledge. Even in local elections, promises to complete the administrative capital are frequently made.

But what is the reality? Over the past 13 years, an enormous amount of taxpayer money has been invested, and this continues today. With many government ministries having relocated to Sejong, elected candidates who are desperate for every vote during elections claim they will put a historic end to the administrative capital project. However, once the elections are over, their pledges often lose momentum under the new pretext that further social consensus is needed.

In fact, even the population figures make it difficult for those whose livelihoods depend on each and every vote to turn their pledges into reality. According to statistics released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety ahead of the last early presidential election, out of Sejong's total population of about 390,000, only 307,028 people are eligible to vote. This is even fewer than the neighboring cities of Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province or Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province.

In this context, it is difficult for politicians, whose careers depend on votes, to justify taking further steps toward completing the administrative capital. In the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions alone, there are close to 20 million eligible voters; in the Yeongnam region, over 12 million; and in the Honam region, nearly 5 million.

What about the reality in the Chungcheong region? The total number of eligible voters in the Chungcheong area is less than 4.8 million. Of these, Sejong City accounts for fewer than 310,000 voters. Can political leaders realistically pursue their pledges according to their convictions, without considering the number of voters?

If political pledges change according to the number of voters in each region, and if this is an unavoidable barrier in real-world politics, then it is my hope that candidates will present realistic pledges and arguments during the election period and demonstrate political actions that are in line with actual politics. Politics is often said to be about legitimacy. If we can establish a politics rooted in genuine legitimacy, rather than justifying chameleon-like politics as if this is the way it has always been, the public will not turn away from politics.

In particular, the issue of relocating the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan has become a hot topic both before and after the early presidential election, drawing significant public attention and even stirring up regional tensions. If the logic is balanced national development, there is little justification for opposing the move to Busan. However, from the perspective of completing the administrative capital, the interpretation inevitably differs.

While the completion of the administrative capital is necessary, the dichotomous logic of considering the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which is already established in Sejong, to Busan may only serve to further confuse and antagonize the public, and exacerbate regional divisions. Political leaders should proceed with caution to avoid such outcomes.

To build consensus on relocating the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which is already established in Sejong, to Busan as part of the process of developing the administrative capital, it will be necessary to implement follow-up measures supported by clear and legitimate justification.