South Korea opposition pushes plan to relocate capital to Daejeon, Sejong and Cheongju
South Korea’s main opposition party stepped into a new approach to national planning on March 13, with a Democratic Party lawmaker proposing a complete relocation of the capital through a new administrative framework. Jang Cheol-min, a representative for Daejeon’s Dong-gu, announced a plan to bind Daejeon, Sejong, and Cheongju into a “New Capital Special City,” arguing that the previously discussed integrated plan for Daejeon, South Chungcheong (Chungnam) and North Chungcheong (Chungbuk) has stalled.
Jang apologized in a National Assembly briefing for the failure of the prior effort to pass an integrated plan before the local elections on June 3, saying government efforts were hindered by conflicting interests among local government leaders from the opposition party. He acknowledged that his party also did not present a unified stance strong enough to shift the proceedings.
The developer’s core proposal is to merge Daejeon, Sejong, and Cheongju into the new capital framework, while reorganizing the rest of Chungnam and Chungbuk into a single “Chungcheong Special Autonomous Province.” He said the aim is to move not only the administrative capital but the economic, cultural, and political functions tied to it, thereby elevating the entire Chungcheong region.
According to Jang, the combined metro area would house about 2.7 million people and anchor industries in semiconductors, biotechnology, and defense, supported by robust education and research infrastructure. He argued that a true relocation of the capital would create a new growth axis that mitigates Seoul-centric concentration and strengthens regional competitiveness.
Economically, he proposed establishing the Chungcheong Regional Industry Investment Corporation with a 3 trillion won capitalization to serve as a regional industrial hub—an entity he likens to a regional development bank for the area. He said this plan was introduced as a bill last April and would be incorporated into the integrated act if the broader unification goes forward.
On governance and public input, Jang acknowledged criticisms that the previous process lacked sufficient public consultation. He pledged that if elected mayor of Daejeon, he would hold a referendum in the second half of next year on the Daejeon–Sejong–Cheongju integration, after a year of preparation to build broader public support.
Context for international readers: Daejeon is a central Korean city known for science and technology institutions, Sejong is a planned administrative capital housing many government ministries, and Cheongju is the capital of North Chungcheong Province. The idea of relocating the national capital has long been debated in Korea, with implications for regional development, investment, and governance. If realized, a major shift in where ministries, agencies, and key industries are concentrated could influence foreign investment, supply chains, and bilateral policy interests, including U.S.–Korea economic and security cooperation.