Sejong Special Self-Governing City Mayor Choi Min-ho met with Acting President and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok at the Government Complex Seoul on the 17th and emphasized the need to move the presidential office to Sejong and complete the administrative capital through constitutional amendment. The meeting was arranged to seek ways to stabilize the region, restore the people’s economy, and cooperate between the central and local governments.
Mayor Choi Min-ho is currently the vice chairman of the Korean Association of Provincial Governors, playing a leading role in improving the local autonomy system and strengthening central-local cooperation. During the interview, he emphasized the need to strengthen the political and administrative status of Sejong City and suggested that the government begin full-scale preparations for the relocation of the presidential office to Sejong City.
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[Korea Today] Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Provincial Governors’ Association Urges Relocation of the Presidential Office to Sejong and Establishment of Administrative Capital Status © Reporter Lee Yoon-joo |
Acting President Choi Sang-mok responded that he would work with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to check the progress of major policies and, if necessary, come up with practical solutions through ministerial meetings.
Mayor Choi also stated that in the current situation where discussions on the establishment of the National Assembly Sejong Government Complex are progressing rapidly, discussions on the relocation of the presidential office also need to be expedited. He said, “In order for Sejong City to establish itself as a true political and administrative center, the central government needs to be proactive and make efforts.”
Along with this, Mayor Choi emphasized the need to end the recurring political chaos and establish a new political system for national development, and mentioned that discussions on constitutional amendments are essential for this purpose. In particular, he insisted that during this process, a plan to constitutionally confirm Sejong City’s status as the administrative capital should be reviewed together.
Mayor Choi Min-ho also emphasized the need to revise the Local Autonomy Act to improve the local autonomy system during the interview. He said, “As we approach the 30th anniversary of local autonomy, discussions are urgently needed to establish a political system that is befitting the status of the country,” and “We need legal and institutional support to strengthen cooperation between the central and local governments and to enable local governments to fulfill their original roles.”
This interview is being evaluated as an important opportunity for Sejong City to present a vision for leading the future of the Republic of Korea as a global leader and to lay the institutional foundation necessary to realize this vision.
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