INCHEON — Opposition across Incheon's entire political spectrum is mounting after the government decided to relocate the Overseas Koreans Agency from the city's Songdo International Business District to Sejong.
With the People Power Party now joined by the Democratic Party of Korea's Incheon chapter and local lawmakers, all calling for a full review or scrapping of the relocation plan, a cross-party coalition is taking shape to keep the agency in Incheon.
Rep. Chung Il-young of the Democratic Party of Korea, whose constituency covers the Songdo district where the agency is based, issued a statement on the 15th urging the government to reconsider. It was the second official position from a Democratic Party lawmaker in Incheon, following Rep. Kim Kyo-heung, who said the decision undermined the agency's efforts to settle in just three years after its launch and should be reviewed.
"The agency was placed in Songdo because its proximity to the airport and port gives 7.5 million overseas Koreans excellent access, and because it reflects the historical significance of Incheon, where Korea's emigration history began," Chung said. "The convenience and practical needs of overseas Koreans must take priority over the goal of clustering administrative agencies." He added that residents felt a deep sense of loss because the relocation was announced abruptly, without sufficient prior explanation or public discussion, at a time when the agency was weighing plans to secure its own building.
In step with the lawmakers, the Democratic Party of Korea's Incheon chapter issued a formal statement on the afternoon of the 14th calling on the government to review the relocation plan.
"The Overseas Koreans Agency was won through the combined efforts of Incheon residents and the overseas Korean community, so it must be run in line with the purpose and role for which it was established," the chapter said, adding that while the ongoing bid to host an education and cultural center is also important, the center cannot replace the agency. It said the two bodies would generate real synergy only if both were based in Incheon, and pledged to speak out alongside civic groups.
The opposition party has also taken action, demanding the government withdraw the plan. The People Power Party's Incheon chapter held a news conference in front of Incheon City Hall, attended by chapter chief Shin Jae-kyung and other senior officials, strongly urging the government to scrap the Sejong relocation and keep the agency in the city.
Civic groups have raised procedural objections as well. "The Overseas Koreans Agency is a state body that settled in Incheon after passing through legislation in the National Assembly, a Cabinet resolution and an open competition among local governments, which recognized the city's historical ties and accessibility," said Kim Song-won, secretary general of the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice in Incheon. "If relocation is to be pursued, it must go through the same process of public debate and social consensus again."
Incheon's city government, meanwhile, is seeking to secure practical gains amid the administrative overhaul, continuing talks to host the Overseas Koreans Education and Cultural Center, a facility for visits and exchanges. But with local politicians from both parties and civic groups forming a united front behind demands to keep the agency in Incheon and scrap the move, attention is turning to further coordination with the central government.