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Sejong City

City in South Korea

Field	Value
name	Sejong
official_name	Sejong Special Self-Governing City
native_name	세종
settlement_type	Special self-governing city
translit_lang1
image_skyline	{{multiple image
caption_align	center
border	infobox
total_width	300
perrow	1/2/2
color	white
image1	Sejong Area 1.jpg
caption1	Sejong City Area 1
image2	Sejong lake park 190609 17.jpg
caption2	Sejong Lake Park
image3	Government Complex Sejong 20190611 Main Entrance.jpg
caption3	Government Complex Sejong
image4	Milmaru Observatory Tower.jpg
caption4	Milmaru Observatory
image_flag	Flag of Sejong City, South Korea.svg
image_blank_emblem	File:Sejong City symbol.svg
blank_emblem_type	Logo
image_map1
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Republic of Korea
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Hoseo
established_title	Established
established_date	2012
parts_type	Neighbourhood
Town
Townships
parts	12
1
9
area_code	+82-44
<!-- Counties	1 --	government_type = Mayor–Council
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Choi Min-ho (People Power)
leader_title1	Body
leader_name1	Sejong City Council
area_total_km2	465.23
population_total	394,630
population_as_of	July 2024
population_density_km2	848.2
population_blank1_title	Dialect
population_blank1	Chungcheong
demographics_type2	GDP (Nominal, 2023)
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1	Total
demographics2_info1	KRW 17 trillion
(US$ 14 billion)
demographics2_title2	Per capita
demographics2_info2	US$ 37,875
translit_lang1_type1	Korean
translit_lang1_info1	세종특별자치시
translit_lang1_type2	Hanja
translit_lang1_info2	世宗特別自治市
translit_lang1_type3	Revised Romanization
translit_lang1_info3	Sejong Teukbyeol-jachisi
translit_lang1_type4	McCune–Reischauer
translit_lang1_info4	Sejong T'ŭkpyŏl-chach'isi
timezone1	Korea Standard Time
utc_offset1	+9
iso_code	KR-50
website

Town Townships 1 9 (US$ 14 billion)

Construction site in Sejong, November 2009

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.

Sejong was founded in 2007 as the new planned capital of South Korea created mostly from parts of South Chungcheong Province and some parts of North Chungcheong Province in order to ease congestion in South Korea's current capital and largest city, Seoul, and to encourage investment in the country's central region. Since 2012, the government of South Korea has relocated numerous ministries and agencies to Sejong, but many still reside in other cities, primarily in Seoul, where the National Assembly 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), making it the least-populous and smallest first-level administrative division in South Korea. Sejong is located in the west-central Hoseo region, bordering South Chungcheong to the west, Daejeon 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, the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty and creator of the Korean alphabet, Hangul. 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

access-date=24 June 2016}}</ref> 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 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. 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 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. 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 and one township of Cheongwon County. Jochiwon was the main city within Yeongi.

In April 2013, the city government of Putrajaya, Malaysia signed a letter of intent (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, Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Defense, and Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

Sejong was specifically designed to be a "smart city", 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 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 and North Chungcheong, as well as the metropolitan city of Daejeon. It is about 121 km south from Seoul. 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, 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 (Köppen: Dwa), typical of central inland regions of the Korean Peninsula, but can be considered a borderline humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cwa) using the -3 C 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 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.

Sejong receives about 1,204.9 mm (47.44 in) of precipitation annually, spread over 90.3 days with measurable rainfall. {{Weather box | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220129211110/https://data.kma.go.kr/resources/normals/pdf_data/korea_pdf_0106_v2.pdf | archive-date = 29 January 2022 | access-date = 7 June 2023

Administrative divisions

Sejong is divided into 14 haengjeong-dong (administrative neighborhoods), 1 eup (town) and 9 myeon (townships). the city main urban centre.

Map	Name	Hangul	Hanja	Population
(2024–7)	Area
(km2)	Total	351,007	465
[[File:Sejong-map3.png	220px]]
220px
Administrative Neighbourhoods
Hansol-dong	ko	한솔동}}	ko	한솔洞}}*	18,143	2.75
Saerom-dong	ko	새롬동}}	ko	새롬洞}}*	26,479	4.84
Naseong-dong	ko	나성동}}	ko	羅城洞}}	13,176	24.91
Dodam-dong	ko	도담동}}	ko	도담洞}}*	24,976	4.72
Eojin-dong	ko	어진동}}	ko	어진洞}}*	11,278	2.65
Areum-dong	ko	아름동}}	ko	아름洞}}*	23,383	2.19
Jongchon-dong	ko	종촌동}}	ko	宗村洞}}	27,879	1.15
Goun-dong	ko	고운동}}	ko	고운洞}}*	35,964	5.35
Boram-dong	ko	보람동}}	ko	보람洞}}*	19,513	1.33
Daepyeong-dong	ko	대평동}}	ko	大坪洞}}	10,940	1.52
Sodam-dong	ko	소담동}}	ko	소담洞}}*	21,772	4.43
Dajeong-dong	ko	다정동}}	ko	다정洞}}*	28,312	1.74
Haemil-dong	ko	해밀동}}	ko	해밀洞}}*	16,612	8.44
Bangok-dong	ko	반곡동}}	ko	盤谷洞}}	28,923	3.2
Towns
Jochiwon-eup	ko	조치원읍}}	ko	鳥致院邑}}	42,154	13.56
Townships
Yeongi-myeon	ko	연기면}}	ko	燕岐面}}	2,500	12.1
Yeondong-myeon	ko	연동면}}	ko	燕東面}}	2,978	21.5
Bugang-myeon	ko	부강면}}	ko	芙江面}}	5,755	27.79
Geumnam-myeon	ko	금남면}}	ko	錦南面}}	8,581	72.5
Janggun-myeon	ko	장군면}}	ko	將軍面}}	7,032	53.23
Yeonseo-myeon	ko	연서면}}	ko	燕西面}}	7,045	54.58
Jeonui-myeon	ko	전의면}}	ko	全義面}}	5,694	62.44
Jeondong-myeon	ko	전동면}}	ko	全東面}}	3,421	57.74
Sojeong-myeon	ko	소정면}}	ko	小井面}}	2,356	16.47

Note: there are no Hanja 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. , 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

Main article: Government Complex, Sejong

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 213000 sqm plot of land, has seven stories and one basement. Construction began in November 2011 in what was South Chungcheong Province, 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 (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 (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 (NTS)
National Agency for Administrative City Construction (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 (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 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

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

Transportation

Air

Sejong is served by Cheongju International Airport in Cheongju, the nearest airport to Sejong.

National railway

Sejong is centrally located on Gyeongbu Line operated by Korail. It is a 90-minute journey on the Mugunghwa-ho to Seoul 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 300 km/h. Osong station opened in 2010. There has also been some debate concerning opening another KTX station within the new Sejong City close 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

세종특별자치시청. "Document Viewer".
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(2004-08-11). "S Korea chooses new capital site".
(28 June 2012). "Sejong City to open Sunday".
(2024-08-16). link
"[Editorial] No Revisions, No Hope".
"Sejong City to Become Biz Hub, Not Gov't District".
YEEN, OH ING. (6 April 2013). "Closer ties between Putrajaya and Sejong, Korea".
(2012-09-23). "Malaysian envoy acclaims Sejong City".
Babe, Ann. (2019-06-04). "South Korea's Master-Planned City Draws Criticism".
(2018-02-02). "Two ministries moving to Sejong in 2019".
(9 May 2019). "Computational Urban Planning and Management for Smart Cities". Springer International Publishing.
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Harlan, Chico (Contributing: Yoonjung Seo) "[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/with-new-sejong-city-south-korean-government-aims-to-rebalance-power/2012/08/17/e8f6dc60-e2bd-11e1-a25e-15067bb31849_story.html With new Sejong City, South Korean government aims to rebalance power]." ''[[Washington Post]]''. 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."
admin. (2024-03-27). "Garden City Sejong".
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