Cho Jung-sik, Speaker of the National Assembly

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone for gathering today on this meaningful occasion to prepare for the Sejong Era of the National Assembly. It is a pleasure to have lawmakers Kang Jun-hyun and Kim Jong-min, Chairman Kim Sung-soo, Mayor Cho Sang-ho, and City Council Chairman Ahn Shin-il. I also extend my thanks to Happy City Administrator Kang Joo-yeop and everyone else present here today. I believe that everyone in this room is a protagonist opening up the Sejong Era of the National Assembly. Our Construction Committee regards balanced national development and the completion of the administrative capital as its core tasks. We judge that Sejong City, designed under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, has acquired the stature of a practical administrative capital over the 14 years since government ministries began relocating in 2012.

With the additional relocation of central administrative agencies such as the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family next year, the majority of government ministries will converge on Sejong City, the administrative capital. In particular, if the Special Act on the Administrative Capital is passed in the National Assembly, it will make a massive contribution to the inauguration of the National Assembly’s Sejong Era. Following the passage of the relevant legislation in 2021, the National Assembly has laid various foundations for the construction of the Sejong Assembly Hall. We established the National Assembly rules to finalize the relocation scale and formed the Construction Committee to determine standard project and design competition methods. Not long ago, the 2nd Construction Committee centered around Chairman Kim Sung-soo was launched. Furthermore, we plan to visit the Sejong City Hall today and inspect the prospective site.

I believe that the Sejong Assembly Hall must become a national assembly reflecting the values of the Constitution, popular sovereignty, and parliamentary democracy. I ask all of you to pool your strength in opening up the Sejong Era of the National Assembly. Finally, commemorating the late Prime Minister Roh Hee-chan—who first proposed the Sejong Assembly Installation Act in 2016 after being elected as Sejong City's inaugural National Assembly member and dedicated himself to its construction—I hope this will be an occasion to reinforce our resolve for the construction of the Sejong Assembly Hall. Thank you.

Lawmaker Kim Jong-min

I sincerely welcome and thank National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik and the members of the Construction Committee for visiting Sejong City. I think the project to build the National Assembly building is not simply a project to put up a structure, but will serve as historical concepts symbolizing a new era. Many things have happened and many events have taken place over the past 60 years or so. In particular, democracy has undergone major changes. Democracy that started from powerful authority institutions in Yeouido and Gwanghwamun has changed into democracy starting from the streets, homes, and village votes. And we expect that a National Assembly symbolizing this new democracy will be built in Sejong. When thinking of 21st-century democracy, I hope it will be built so well that people will say they must visit the National Assembly in Sejong City. I believe that the 22nd National Assembly will serve as a milestone in overcoming the metropolitan unipolar system in the Republic of Korea. I believe that the Special Act on the Administrative Capital will also pass this time. Since our National Assembly Speaker's determination is firm, along with the resolve of the President and the ruling and opposition leadership, it will pass. I ask the Speaker to strike the gavel with your own hands, and once the special act on the administrative capital passes—as I always say—it is a trigger. Once the trigger sounds, countless people standing at the starting line will begin to run. Running toward this balanced development and to overcome the metropolitan unipolar system will begin. I urge the many people gathered here to pool your intentions and make this milestone happen, and once again, I welcome you to Sejong City.

Lawmaker Kang Jun-hyun

First of all, it has been less than a month since the 2nd Construction Committee was launched, and I understand this is its second meeting. I am deeply grateful that the National Assembly Speaker has visited Sejong on the day of the second meeting. During the 1st Construction Committee, we negotiated the total project cost for the National Assembly Sejong Assembly Hall and formulated the master plan. The 2nd committee awaits the largest international design competition in history. I hope the 2nd committee will center its focus on yielding practical achievements. The National Assembly Sejong Assembly Hall and the completion of the administrative capital will serve as a catalyst for President Roh Moo-hyun's value of balanced national growth and President Lee Jae-myung's local government and "5 Poles and 3 Special Regions" growth. Since the National Assembly Speaker has a deep interest in completing the administrative capital, I ask for your continued attention so that the National and Administrative Capital Special Acts can sail smoothly.

Kim Sung-soo, Chairman of the Construction Committee

As the Chairman of the Construction Committee, I keenly feel a heavy sense of responsibility. The Construction Committee plays a critical role in shaping the multidimensional appearance of the National Assembly Sejong Assembly Hall. We will harmoniously reflect the diverse perspectives of various institutions and regions in the construction process. I hope this will serve as an opportunity to pool our intentions for the successful construction of the National Assembly Sejong Assembly Hall.

Mayor Cho Sang-ho

Hello. I am Sejong Mayor Cho Sang-ho. First of all, thank you very much, National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik. Also, Chairman Kim Sung-soo, and lawmakers Kang Jun-hyun and Kim Jong-min, thank you deeply along with the citizens of Sejong for visiting Sejong City directly despite your busy schedules and arranging this meaningful gathering. Viewing today's topic—preparing for the Sejong Era of the National Assembly with the people—from Sejong City's perspective, I would like to outline the tasks we must solve together.

First is the significance of the National Assembly's Sejong Era. Until now, Sejong has centered on administrative functions, but with the construction of the National Assembly Sejong Assembly Hall, political and legislative functions will be added, equipping it with the practical roles and functions of an administrative capital. The Sejong Era of the National Assembly goes beyond physical relocation; it is a starting point where political and administrative spaces are newly reorganized and the Republic of Korea undergoes a grand transformation. This transformation carries diverse meanings. By dispersing the capital-region concentration that has continued for 600 years, it will lead the "5 Poles and 3 Special Regions" strategy, and the National Assembly will reach closer into the daily lives of the people. Such changes will rally nationwide capabilities to elevate the competitiveness of AI, K-semiconductors, and K-democracy, leading the growth and leap of the Republic of Korea. To support this, there are also tasks that must be resolved. Sejong City has not secured legal status as an administrative capital and has not fully established its core urban functions. Due to a lack of self-sufficiency and growth engines, its supporting financial base is also inadequate. Successfully welcoming the Sejong Era of the National Assembly requires three major solutions: securing legal status, strengthening urban capabilities, and ensuring financial stability.

The first is the enactment of the Special Act on the Administrative Capital.

The current National Assembly Sejong Assembly Hall is approaching architectural design without including the Speaker's office space and the main plenary chamber. Dispersion of National Assembly facilities raises concerns over legislative inefficiency. For the Sejong Assembly Hall to open with complete functions, the special act must be enacted within this year. A total of five special act bills are currently under discussion in the National Assembly. I express my gratitude here for the National Assembly Speaker's expressed determination in July to pass it within the year. I ask for your active leadership in passing the bills. Sejong City will also strive to build a pan-national countermeasure committee and public consensus.

The second is strengthening urban capabilities.

Seoul’s Gangnam grew into a global leading region in the 1970s thanks to concrete national plans and pan-governmental support. Such a national role is also required for Sejong, the administrative capital promoted to alleviate overpopulation in the metropolitan area. Currently, Sejong City is scheduled to perform six major functions including culture, international exchange, and university research, but concrete plans do not yet exist. Pan-governmental level planning and support are necessary.

The third is the issue of financial stability.

Sejong City is currently a special self-governing city simultaneously performing metropolitan and basic functions for a population of 390,000, yet its financial conditions are extremely vulnerable due to issues such as a shortage of general local grants and delayed redemption of LH development profits. To solidly promote the Sejong Era of the National Assembly—such as expanding residential city infrastructure befitting an administrative capital—we ask for your great attention toward the revision of the Sejong City Act and improvements to the local grant system.

Last September, President Lee Jae-myung stated that he would open an economic-administrative dual capital era through swift construction of the administrative capital and economic capitals like Washington and New York. National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik also stated his resolve during his inaugural press conference in July for the unwavering promotion of the National Assembly Sejong Assembly Hall and the within-year processing of the administrative capital special act. Our Sejong City will also pour all our capabilities into the successful opening of the National Assembly Sejong Era, the completion of the administrative capital, balanced national growth, and a new leap forward for the Republic of Korea. We now intend to open the door to a new era looking at the Republic of Korea through the eyes of Sejong. Once again, I thank everyone, including Speaker Cho Jung-sik who visited Sejong, and ask you to pool your strength and wisdom for the Sejong Era of the National Assembly and the completion of the administrative capital.

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