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Discourse: New capital should be self-sufficient, attractive: South Korean envoy
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South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Chang-beom (JP/I Gede Dharma JS)
I
n 2007, South Korea started construction on its new 72-square-kilometer administrative capital, Sejong, to promote equal development and competitiveness. Korea has relocated 42 central government bodies to the city, which strives to be “self-sufficient”, as of 2019. It is expected to be completed in 2030.
Building a new capital – or, in Korea’s case, relocating some administrative functions to Sejong – is an extraordinary undertaking for any country. As Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has announced the government’s plan to move Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan, The Jakarta Post’s Apriza Pinandita met with Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Chang-beom to discuss Korea’s experience.
Question: Could you tell us more about Korea's plan and how the process is going so far?
Answer: The simple reason we initiated this whole process of setting up a new administrative city separtate from the capital city of Seoul is the uneven development throughout the country. Korea has been developing so fast, during which we have been undergoing a transformation in our economy. But during the process of modernization, development and industrialization, we were not able to accomplish equal development. So we decided to move some key functions of administration to a newly created city – 120-km and 45 minutes by speed-train from Seoul – called Sejong.
This is not a relocation of the capital city itself – as Indonesia is now planning – but of some of the key functions of the executive branches and administrative bodies. We have moved 42 central government bodies and 15 government-funded research institutions, and it is now moving toward a self-reliant and self-sufficient city. In the beginning, it was more of the government or administrative center, now it’s shifting to be a self-reliant city.
How did Koreans react to the plan initially and what is the current situation?
In Korea, we’ve been facing more or less similar challenges to Jakarta because Seoul is a densely populated city. It’s close to the border with North Korea, so the risk is very high. And also, some of the functions that Seoul has been holding for many years should be delegated to other cities so that they can prosper together.
