Oceans ministry begins relocation preparations to Busan following Lee’s directive

The oceans ministry has officially begun preparations to relocate to the southeastern city of Busan, following a directive from President Lee Jae-myung amid such pending issues as budget and employee concerns, officials said Friday.

On Thursday, Lee instructed the government to swiftly work on the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries from its current location in Sejong, the administrative city about 110 kilometers south of Seoul, to Busan.

The relocation was one of Lee’s major campaign pledges, aimed at developing Busan as a regional maritime hub and promoting balanced regional development.

“We’ll need to form a task force to begin preparations for the relocation in cooperation with related ministries,” a ministry official said.

It is reviewing relevant regulations and procedures and examining precedents from past government relocations, the official added.

The Special Act on the Construction of Multifunctional Administrative City stipulates that the foreign, justice, defense and gender equality ministries shall not be relocated from Seoul, but it contains no specific provisions regarding the oceans ministry.

One of the key issues is the budget for the relocation, which is expected to cost up to several billion won.

Some officials believe that renting private buildings prior to the construction of new government facilities would be a practical approach to expedite the move.

Another pressing issue is how to address the anxiety among ministry officials, including concerns about housing and their children’s education in the event of a relocation.

A recent survey conducted by the ministry’s labor union found that 86 percent of the staff at the headquarters opposed the move to Busan.

Some also expressed concerns that relocating the ministry could hinder collaboration with the National Assembly in Seoul and other government ministries based in Sejong.

“Employees are feeling very anxious,” another ministry official said. “We need to work with related ministries to develop support measures that address these concerns.”