The region’s youth face severe daily friction, pouring hours into commutes driven by a stubborn concentration of jobs and infrastructure in the capital.
Administrative Separation Costs Trillions of Won
- Commuter Toll: Commuters in the Seoul metropolitan area face heavy logistical strains, contributing to an annual traffic congestion cost of 41 trillion won.
- Administrative Inefficiency: The physical separation between the executive branch in Sejong and the legislative branch in Seoul creates an annual social loss of up to 4.88 trillion won.
- Legislative Push: Park Sung-soo is pressing for the passage of the Administrative Capital Special Act during the autumn regular session of the National Assembly to complete the administrative capital in Sejong.
The 41 Trillion Won Price Tag of Metropolitan Transit
The strain of extreme commuting is not merely a matter of personal fatigue; it carries a massive macroeconomic footprint. Park noted that the annual traffic congestion cost for the Seoul metropolitan area reaches 41 trillion won. This figure captures the economic friction generated as millions of workers travel between Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, and Seoul.
Despite housing costs and fierce competition for public transit, migration to the capital region remains relentless. The source points out that 50,000 young people join the metropolitan population annually. Education, employment, culture, and healthcare cluster tightly in Seoul, leaving regional areas unable to retain young populations despite lower housing expenses.
Administrative Friction Between Seoul and Sejong
The capital’s gravitational pull extends far beyond private sector workers, crippling public sector efficiency as well. Government ministries have relocated to Sejong, but the National Assembly and the presidential office remain in Seoul. This split forces public officials to become what the Sejong bureaucracy terms “road director-generals” and “road division heads.”
To attend parliamentary committee hearings, review bills, and coordinate party-government consultations, Sejong-based officials regularly board the KTX to Seoul. They spend four to five hours per day transiting between Osong Station and Yeouido.
This total accounts for direct expenses such as travel costs and time for high-ranking officials. It also includes indirect costs stemming from a lack of face-to-face reporting, delayed policymaking, and reduced responsiveness to national issues.
The Push for the Administrative Capital Special Act
Two decades have passed since the initiation of the Multifunctional Administrative City project. Yet, the incomplete migration of state power continues to erode policy quality under the weight of Seoul’s centralizing pull. Park argues that the core solution lies in balanced national growth anchored by the completion of Sejong as the administrative capital.
To establish the legal foundation for the Sejong National Assembly building and the presidential office in Sejong, Park Sung-soo is calling for the passage of the Administrative Capital Special Act during the autumn regular session of the National Assembly.
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