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Cities divided over Lee's plan to move oceans ministry to Busan
A banner by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries union hangs near Sejong City Hall, Thursday, to urge the government to reconsider its plan to relocate the ministry from Sejong to Busan. Yonhap
By Park Jae-hyuk
Sejong, Incheon, Gwangyang raise concerns as Busan welcomes relocation
Conflict is growing over President Lee Jae-myung’s efforts to fulfill his election campaign pledge to relocate the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan from Sejong, the de facto administrative capital of Korea.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries office building in the Government Complex Sejong / Yonhap
While the city government of Sejong fears a massive outflow of its population, major port cities such as Incheon and South Jeolla Province’s Gwangyang warn the relocation could weaken their roles as national logistics hubs.
In contrast, Busan’s district offices are already locked in fierce competition to accommodate the ministry and its affiliated institutions, welcoming Lee’s order to begin preparations immediately.
Earlier this month, the mayors of Incheon and Sejong — both members of the main opposition People Power Party — urged the president to reconsider the plan, citing concerns about a lack of coordination among ministries.
"The government’s reasoning can be seen as justifying the neglect of Incheon Port in the capital area and Gwangyang Port in the southern region," Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok wrote on social media June 8.
Sejong Mayor Choi Min-ho echoed the sentiment during a press conference June 9, saying the relocation contradicts the president’s earlier promise to make Sejong the true administrative capital by moving the presidential office from Seoul to the city.
Their remarks were supported by civic groups in each region.
"The planned relocation of the oceans ministry will reignite conflict between the capital and provincial areas," a coalition of Sejong-based civic groups said in a statement June 10.
Twelve Incheon-based organizations, including several business lobby groups, also issued a joint statement Monday condemning the plan as a merely political move. Their announcement came a week after the Incheon Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice warned of potential clashes among port cities.
Amid growing concerns over the marginalization of Gwangyang Port, the South Jeolla Provincial Government argued that Naju — a city within the province — should host the Ministry of Climate and Energy instead, once the Lee administration launches it as promised. The new ministry is expected to be created by transferring officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, both currently based in Sejong.
However, the central government and ruling Democratic Party of Korea politicians representing Incheon and Sejong remain committed to fulfilling the president’s pledge, citing the strategic value of securing a foothold for exploring an Arctic shipping route.
Busan’s civic groups are urging the government to move institutions under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' supervision to the city, and to relocate HMM, Korea’s largest container shipping company, there as well. HMM's shares are 77 percent owned by three state-run organizations: the Korea Development Bank, the Korea Ocean Business Corp. and the National Pension Service.
In response, a majority of the oceans ministry’s 900 employees are protesting the move, which comes just 13 years after they relocated from Seoul to Sejong. According to a recent survey conducted by the ministry’s labor union, 86 percent of respondents opposed the relocation.
"Confusion and anxiety have made it difficult for our employees to focus on their work, and their families are under even greater stress," the union said in a June 10 statement.