Budget for Sejong National Assembly Building Stalled for Eight Years

The budget for the construction of the Sejong National Assembly Building has totaled 215.4 billion won since 2019, but only 3.6 billion won has been executed as of the end of July this year. Delays in preliminary procedures, such as land acquisition, have prevented the allocated budget from being utilized for the project. The National Assembly Secretariat has announced plans to push for land acquisition contracts by the end of the year, making the securing of land and subsequent design schedules critical.

According to the National Assembly Budget Office's "Analysis of the 2027 Budget Proposal by Committee" released on November 6, the cumulative budget for the Sejong National Assembly Building from 2019 to 2026 is reported to be 215.367 billion won. As of the end of July this year, the actual expenditure was only 3.646 billion won, representing just 1.7% of the total budget.

At the same time, only 764 million won (0.4%) of the current budget of 212.357 billion won has been executed this year. The construction compensation needed for land acquisition, amounting to 176.362 billion won, remains entirely unspent.

The Sejong National Assembly Building project aims to relocate some functions of the National Assembly to Sejong City to enhance efficiency between the legislative and executive branches and promote balanced national development. While it aligns with strengthening Sejong City's role as an administrative capital, the project has faced delays in preliminary procedures, such as land acquisition, since the first budget was allocated. Despite annual budget allocations, a significant portion has been carried over without leading to actual land acquisition.

One of the factors contributing to the delays, as pointed out by the Budget Office, is the discrepancy between the project site and the area reflected in the total project cost. According to National Assembly regulations, the project site for the Sejong National Assembly Building is approximately 631,000 square meters, but the area reflected in the report for the total project cost is only 548,727 square meters. This discrepancy of about 82,000 square meters necessitated additional negotiations to reflect the entire project site in the total project cost.

The Budget Office explained that finalizing discussions related to the feasibility reassessment is essential for signing land acquisition contracts and executing compensation payments. Delays in securing land could also impact subsequent design schedules, making it crucial to complete preliminary procedures alongside budget allocation.

Amid these delays in preliminary procedures, the budget proposal for next year has been set at 119.095 billion won, an increase of 23.455 billion won from this year's budget.

The Budget Office warned that if negotiations on the total project cost and land acquisition contracts are delayed, this year's construction compensation, as well as next year's interim payments for land compensation and basic investigation design costs, could also be carried over.

However, National Assembly Secretary General Ko Yong-jin stated during a National Assembly Operations Committee audit on October 30 that discussions with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance regarding the land acquisition have recently concluded, adding, "We plan to finalize contracts by the end of this year and complete land acquisition next year." The timely execution of contracts and compensation payments will be crucial for the project's timeline.

Experts emphasize that for the Sejong National Assembly Building project to gain momentum, securing the budget is not enough; there must also be a policy decision on project advancement and a clear direction for the relocation of the administrative capital.

Seo Jin-hyung, a professor at Kwangwoon University’s Department of Real Estate Law, noted, "The speed of public development projects can vary depending on policy decisions and the will to advance them."

Lee Eun-hyung, a researcher at the Korea Construction Policy Institute, stated, "Public development projects should consider social benefits rather than just project viability. The construction of the Sejong National Assembly Building is part of the larger vision of relocating the administrative capital, making the overall discussion and progress on the relocation more important than the speed of individual construction projects."