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Election pledges to relocate public agencies are going too far

Published: 30 Apr. 2026, 00:00

A night view of the campus of the Korea National University of Arts in Seoul. [KOREA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ARTS]

Ahead of the June 3 local elections, candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties are rushing to promise that they will attract public institutions now based in the Seoul metropolitan area to their regions. The government plans to announce a “second-phase public institution relocation roadmap” in the second half of the year. Before that, candidates and lawmakers are proposing bills or pledges to move specific institutions, often with little regard for whether relocation is realistic.

In Gwangju–South Jeolla, which has completed administrative integration as a special metropolitan city, the number of institutions proposed for relocation has reached about 40, including the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives and the Korea District Heating Corporation. The push is already causing friction. Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers in Gwangju have proposed a bill to move the Korea National University of Arts from Seoul to Gwangju, prompting opposition from the school’s student council.

Gwangju presents itself as an Asian cultural hub. But to maintain the competitiveness of an institution that trains professional artists, links with high-level faculty, performance venues and related infrastructure are essential. Demanding relocation without such preparation amounts to election-season populism.

In Daegu, where candidates from both parties have promised to relocate the headquarters of the Industrial Bank of Korea, some are even calling for the Supreme Court to move to the city. Lawmakers from the DP and the Rebuilding Korea Party have introduced a bill aimed at relocating the Supreme Court to Daegu, and the bill has been referred to the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The National Court Administration opposed the idea, citing concerns that it would weaken access for court users. Such pledges amount to little more than promises made first and examined later. Voters should not be swayed by irresponsible proposals.

President Lee Jae Myung has said the second phase of public institution relocation is tied to national survival and cannot be handed out as if scattering benefits evenly across all regions. The Roh Moo-hyun administration relocated 153 public institutions to regional areas, but excessive dispersion weakened efficiency and did not sufficiently help regional growth. The government should instead seek ways to create synergy with each region’s specialized industries.

The government’s administrative integration bill includes preferential consideration for relocating public institutions to integrated regions. Since benefits could be concentrated in Gwangju and South Jeolla, which have already integrated, the government and politicians should speed up discussions on integration bills for Daegu–North Gyeongsang and South Chungcheong–Daejeon.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.