South Korea's government has announced a major relocation of central ministries and public institutions out of Seoul, beginning in the first half of 2027, as part of a long-running effort to decentralise national functions and promote balanced regional development. Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said the justice and gender ministries will be among the first to move to Sejong (a purpose-built administrative city roughly 110 kilometres south of Seoul), with other agencies to follow in phases once new facilities are completed; a presidential office in Sejong is also planned for 2029, alongside a new National Assembly hall due in 2030. The government will also relocate up to 350 public institutions currently based in the greater Seoul area and reduce the total number of such bodies by 109 through consolidation and structural reform.