Incheon locals oppose plan to move Overseas Koreans Agency to Sejong

The government plans to move the Overseas Koreans Agency from Incheon to Sejong by the first half of 2027, prompting political parties, local officials and civic activists in Incheon to demand that the decision be reconsidered. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that 44 ministries and agencies would relocate in phases from next year through 2031. Incheon officials and the agency had been discussing new office space in the city after earlier uncertainty over the agency’s headquarters. Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae said the city was consulting with the agency to keep an education and cultural center in Incheon.

The agency is among the first six government bodies scheduled to move, with its relocation to Sejong planned by the first half of 2027.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced the relocation plan on Oct. 13 as part of a national strategy to reduce the capital area-centered administrative system.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Incheon chapter called for public consultation with Incheon residents and overseas Korean communities at an upcoming public hearing.

The Incheon chapter of the People Power Party held a press conference on Oct. 14 urging Mayor Park to press the central government to reverse the plan.

The education and cultural center being discussed for Incheon is expected to attract between 3,000 and 10,000 diaspora Koreans annually.

Published Oct 21, 2026 3:46 pm KST

Updated Oct 21, 2026 4:41 pm KST

Members of the Incheon chapter of the main opposition People Power Party hold a press conference in Incheon opposing the government's decision to relocate the Overseas Koreans Agency to Sejong from Incheon, Oct. 14. Courtesy of Incheon chapter of the People Power Party

Political parties, local officials and civic activists in Incheon are pushing back against the government’s plan to relocate the Overseas Koreans Agency (OKA) to Sejong, calling the decision unilateral and demanding it be scrapped.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced Oct. 13 that 44 ministries and agencies would relocate in phases beginning next year through 2031 as part of a national strategy to break up the capital area-centered administrative system.

The agency, which oversees diaspora policy under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is among the first six agencies slated to move — scheduled to leave its Incheon headquarters for the administrative city of Sejong by the first half of 2027.

The OKA was originally established in Incheon following fierce competition among local governments, with the city selected for its proximity to Incheon International Airport and its symbolic significance as a gateway for the Korean diaspora.

The agency had more recently been weighing a move to a government building in Seoul after struggling to find suitable premises, with a plan to coordinate with officials there once its current lease expired. Following a series of controversies over its headquarters, the Incheon city government and the OKA had been in discussions to secure new office space in Incheon — making the Sejong announcement a further blow to those efforts.

The backlash has been swift and cross-partisan, with both the ruling and opposition parties’ Incheon chapters criticizing the plan as one-sided and calling for greater public consultation.

"We urge the government to reconsider the plan to relocate the OKA to Sejong and to thoroughly gather feedback from Incheon citizens and overseas Korean communities during the upcoming public hearing," the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s Incheon chapter said in a statement last week.

"(The location of) the agency was the hard-won result of joint efforts by Incheon citizens and overseas Korean communities.”

The Overseas Koreans Welcome Center and Korean Business Center in Yeonsu District, Incheon, Sept. 21. Korea Times file

The Incheon chapter of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) held a press conference on Oct. 14 urging Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae to press the central government to reverse course and has since released a steady stream of statements.

"The OKA serves as a vital national hub connecting 7 million overseas Koreans with Korea, while embodying the historic identity of Incheon, where the nation's first official emigration began," the PPP’s Incheon chapter said.

“When government decisions conflict with Incheon's interests, leadership must protect the rights of our citizens. With a major national body based in Incheon facing relocation, Mayor Park needs to demonstrate real action to scrap the move, not just offer surface explanations or belated measures.”

Former Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok from the conservative bloc, who served two terms from 2014 to 2018 and from 2022 to 2026, criticized the central and local governments for unilaterally deciding on the relocation without listening to residents’ opinions.

“(The government said) the OKA will not move to Seoul; now they are shipping it off to Sejong,” Yoo wrote Sunday on his Facebook page.

“The OKA says there was no prior consultation, and the diaspora community says its views were never heard … Who is this relocation really for, when neither the policy beneficiaries, nor the agency itself, nor the local community were informed.”

He urged the government to immediately scrap the plan to relocate the agency and called on the Incheon Metropolitan Government to formally convey its opposition to the central government.

Regarding the series of controversies, the OKA offered a measured response, saying it would follow the government’s decision.

“Relocating government functions to Sejong is a top national priority for all ministries and the decision was made after comprehensive review at a Cabinet meeting,” the agency said. “Further details will be carried out in consultation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.”

Park, the current Incheon mayor, struck a more conciliatory tone, saying on social media that the city was in the final stages of consulting with the OKA to keep an education and cultural center in Incheon — a facility expected to attract between 3,000 and 10,000 diaspora Koreans annually.

"The agency may move to Sejong, but overseas Koreans will come to Incheon. There is no need to view this as Incheon taking a loss or being left out," Park said.

韩国政府计划于2027年上半年将海外韩人事务厅从仁川迁至世宗市，此举引发仁川各政党、地方官员和公民活动人士的强烈要求，要求重新考虑该决定。行政安全部宣布，从明年到2031年，将有44个部委和机构分阶段搬迁。此前，由于海外韩人事务厅总部选址不明朗，仁川官员和该机构一直在讨论在仁川市内的新办公场所。仁川市长朴灿大表示，市政府正在与该机构协商，以期在仁川保留一个教育文化中心。

该机构是首批计划搬迁的六个政府机构之一，计划于 2027 年上半年迁至世宗市。

内政安全部于 10 月 13 日宣布了搬迁计划，这是旨在减少以首都地区为中心的行政体系的国家战略的一部分。

韩国执政党共同民主党仁川支部呼吁在即将举行的公开听证会上与仁川居民和海外韩裔社区进行公开磋商。

10月14日，国民力量党仁川支部举行记者会，敦促市长朴槿惠向中央政府施压，要求其撤销该计划。

正在讨论中的仁川教育文化中心预计每年将吸引 3,000 至 10,000 名海外韩国人。

发布于2026年10月21日下午3:46（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月21日下午4:41（韩国标准时间）

10月14日，主要反对党国民力量党仁川支部成员在仁川举行新闻发布会，反对政府将海外韩国人事务厅从仁川迁至世宗市的决定。图片由国民力量党仁川支部提供。

仁川的政党、地方官员和公民活动人士正在反对政府将海外韩国人事务局（OKA）迁至世宗市的计划，称该决定是单方面的，并要求取消该计划。

内政安全部于 10 月 13 日宣布，作为打破以首都地区为中心的行政体系的国家战略的一部分，44 个部委和机构将从明年开始分阶段搬迁至 2031 年。

该机构隶属于外交部，负责管理侨民政策，是首批计划搬迁的六个机构之一，计划于 2027 年上半年从仁川总部迁至世宗市。

OKA 最初是在仁川成立的，这是当地政府之间激烈竞争的结果。仁川之所以被选中，是因为它靠近仁川国际机场，并且具有作为韩国侨民门户的象征意义。

该机构此前一直在考虑搬迁至首尔的政府大楼，因为一直难以找到合适的办公场所，并计划在现有租约到期后与首尔方面协调此事。此前，由于总部所在地引发了一系列争议，仁川市政府和OKA一直在商讨在仁川寻找新的办公场所——世宗市的公告无疑对这些努力造成了进一步的打击。

反对声迅速而强烈，跨越党派，执政党和反对党仁川分部都批评该计划片面，并呼吁进行更广泛的公众咨询。

“我们敦促政府重新考虑将OKA迁至世宗的计划，并在即将举行的公开听证会上彻底收集仁川市民和海外韩裔社区的意见，”韩国执政党共同民主党仁川支部上周在一份声明中表示。

“（该机构的选址）是仁川市民和海外韩裔社区共同努力的成果。”

9月21日，仁川市延寿区海外韩人欢迎中心和韩国商务中心。（《韩国时报》资料图）

10月14日，主要反对党国民力量党仁川分部举行新闻发布会，敦促仁川市长朴灿大向中央政府施压，要求其改变政策方向，此后该分部陆续发表了一系列声明。

“OKA 是一个重要的国家枢纽，连接着 700 万海外韩国人和韩国，同时也体现了仁川的历史身份，因为韩国的第一个官方移民项目就是从这里开始的，”韩国人民进步党仁川分部表示。

“当政府决策与仁川的利益发生冲突时，领导层必须保护公民的权利。鉴于一个重要的国家机构总部设在仁川面临搬迁，朴市长需要拿出实际行动来阻止搬迁，而不仅仅是给出一些表面解释或采取一些迟来的措施。”

来自保守派阵营的前仁川市长柳正福（2014年至2018年和2022年至2026年两度担任市长）批评中央和地方政府在没有听取居民意见的情况下单方面决定搬迁事宜。

“（政府曾表示）OKA不会迁往首尔；现在他们却要把它运往世宗，”柳在周日的Facebook页面上写道。

“OKA表示事先没有进行任何磋商，而侨民社区则表示他们的意见从未被听取……这项搬迁究竟是为了谁？政策受益人、机构本身以及当地社区都没有被告知此事。”

他敦促政府立即取消搬迁该机构的计划，并呼吁仁川市政府正式向中央政府表达反对意见。

对于这一系列争议，OKA做出了谨慎的回应，称将遵循政府的决定。

该机构表示：“将政府职能迁至世宗市是所有部委的首要国家要务，这一决定是在内阁会议进行全面审议后做出的。更多细节将与行政安全部协商确定。”

现任仁川市长朴正熙的语气则较为缓和，他在社交媒体上表示，仁川市正在与韩国海外发展局（OKA）进行最后阶段的磋商，以期在仁川保留一个教育文化中心——该中心预计每年将吸引 3,000 至 10,000 名海外韩裔人士。

“经纪公司可能会搬到世宗市，但海外韩裔人士会来仁川。没必要把这看作是仁川遭受损失或被排除在外，”朴先生说。