The government is accelerating the second phase of relocating public institutions, raising interest in whether the remaining facilities and land in the Seoul metropolitan area can be repurposed for new housing. With 168 public institutions headquartered in the metropolitan area, discussions may arise on utilizing vacant land in key locations in Seoul and Gyeonggi for housing once the relocation targets are confirmed.
According to the Public Institution Management Information Disclosure System (ALIO) on September 6, 168 of the 355 public institutions nationwide are based in the metropolitan area, accounting for 47.3% of the total.
Regionally, there are 130 institutions in Seoul, 29 in Gyeonggi, and 9 in Incheon, with institutions in Seoul making up 77.4% of the metropolitan total.
Seoul hosts numerous organizations, including public enterprises like SR and the Korea Airports Corporation, as well as the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, the Korea Development Bank, and the Export-Import Bank of Korea.
The core principle of the second phase of public institution relocation, announced by the government on September 3, is to 'minimize remaining institutions in the metropolitan area.'
The government plans to reassess the criteria for remaining institutions that were applied during the first phase of relocation, aiming to move those that do not have a compelling reason to stay in the metropolitan area to provincial locations. The government intends to finalize the relocation plan in the fourth quarter of this year and begin relocating leading institutions in 2027.
Attention is now focused on how to utilize the metropolitan sites vacated by institutions that move to provincial areas.
As the government pushes to expand housing supply in the metropolitan area, public institution sites in transit-oriented developments or urban centers could become viable candidates for housing without the need for large-scale land acquisition. Given the challenges of securing new residential land in Seoul, the mixed-use development of public facilities and vacant land is seen as a potential strategy for increasing urban housing supply.
A government official stated, "If there is available land after the relocation of public institutions, discussions about housing supply could certainly be connected," but added, "We are not yet at the stage of related discussions."
There is also a precedent for this approach. In a plan announced on January 29 to expand urban housing supply, the government decided to provide 1,500 housing units on the site of the Korea Defense Research Institute and the Korea Economic Development Exhibition Hall in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul.
Additionally, 1,300 housing units will be supplied on the sites of the Korea Administrative Research Institute, the Korea Environmental Industry Technology Institute, the Korea Gender Equality Education Institute, and the Korea Women's Policy Institute in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. This plan involves relocating public institutions and supplying a total of 2,800 housing units on the existing sites.
As the second phase of relocation gains momentum, there is potential for additional sites to be identified for similar use.
One of the candidates mentioned is the Korea National Research Institute located in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, which is close to Pangyo Techno Valley and has a relatively large site. If it is included in the actual relocation targets, discussions on land utilization may follow.
Industry insiders noted, "Not all 168 public institutions in the metropolitan area will relocate, and even if they do, not all sites can be used for housing. Institutions in leased buildings will not generate available land, and existing sites must be evaluated based on size, zoning, and transportation and educational infrastructure."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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