On July second, the new administrative city of Sejong was launched as the nation's 17th metropolitan autonomous body.

Former President Roh Moo-hyun sought to make Sejong a new administrative capital in line with a pledge he made when he was a presidential candidate in September 2002.

However, the plan was changed to build the city after the Constitutional Court ruled that moving the nation’s capital is unconstitutional.

When President Lee Myung-bak came to power, he sought to change Sejong into an education-oriented science and technology city but he failed to secure approval on his plan from the National Assembly.

Around two-thirds of all government offices, including 17 ministries and 20 agencies, will move to Sejong by the end of 2014.

Sejong will operate as an independent administrative entity under the direct control of the central government without local governments at the district and county levels. The city spans a 465-square-kilometer area and is about three-fourths the size of Seoul. The area covers the whole of former Yeongi County, and parts of Gongju City and Cheongwon County.

The government expects Sejong’s population to grow from the current 121-thousand to 300-thousand in 2020 and to 500-thousand by 2030 when the city’s development is expected to be completed.

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