Sharing Achievements of the Fourth Municipal Administration's Third Anniversary at the Citizens' Policy Forum
Building Consensus on Five Key Future Visions for the Nation's Centennial Strategy
Minho Choi, Mayor of Sejong City, is speaking at the policy forum held on the 26th. Photo by Policy Planning Officer, Office for Planning and Coordination
As the government is considering relocating the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan, there has been backlash not only from the local community but also from the Chungcheong region. Against this backdrop, Minho Choi, Mayor of Sejong City, marked the third anniversary of the fourth municipal administration and the launch of the new government by sharing five key visions centered on completing the administrative capital.
On the 26th, about 800 people?including citizens of various ages, experts, and many from the future generation such as youth?participated in a policy forum held at the Sejong Culture and Arts Center in Jochiwon-eup. The event provided a platform to exchange views under the theme "New Government, New Sejong."
During the policy briefing at the forum, Mayor Choi personally introduced the major policy directions and visions that Sejong City will pursue under the new administration, pledging to implement city governance for the benefit of future generations.
He emphasized, "Sejong City was established for the development of the Republic of Korea and serves as a central hub for strengthening national competitiveness through balanced national development and local autonomy." He added, "Completing Sejong as the administrative capital is a task for the future of the nation and for future generations." He further explained, "Now that discussions on completing Sejong as the administrative capital are gaining momentum, we are focusing our efforts on the construction of the National Assembly Sejong Office and the Presidential Sejong Office?both presidential pledges to be completed within the term?as the core of our efforts to complete Sejong as the administrative capital."
He explained that over the past three years, the fourth municipal administration has concentrated its administrative capabilities on five key visions: completion of the administrative capital, Korean language cultural city, museum city, garden tourism city, and smart city.
Mayor Choi also pointed out, "While we have hesitated to complete the administrative capital, 20 years have already passed, and now there is a move to relocate the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries from Sejong, which should be the administrative center, to Busan. Shouldn't we first address bigger issues such as low birth rates and regional extinction?"
He particularly stressed, "Completing Sejong as the administrative capital is not simply about relocating the National Assembly and the Presidential Office to Sejong. It represents a grand vision to establish a long-term national strategy and to overcome national crises from Sejong. I hope citizens will resonate with this significance."
He recalled that during his tenure as head of the Multifunctional Administrative City Construction Agency, he named roads, bridges, schools, and neighborhoods in Korean, and seeing the positive reception today has convinced him that the city's vision was correct. Therefore, he plans for Sejong City to continue playing a central role in the globalization and industrialization of the Korean language.
In addition, Mayor Choi took time to share with citizens the need to expand green spaces and gardens in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), the importance of enabling citizens to enjoy a cultured lifestyle through the creation of a museum city, and the vision of a smart city centered on the cybersecurity industry.
He stated, "If we align our thinking with future generations and accurately recognize the sense of national crisis, we can resolve the challenges we face. As I work on these initiatives, I will seek your cooperation and, at times, your strength to realize Sejong City's vision."
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