Sejong
Chungcheong
*Youngjin · CC BY-SA 3.0
A purpose-built administrative city — Korea's experiment in designing an urban centre from zero.
Sejong exists because of a political decision: move most ministries out of Seoul to relieve the capital. The result is a fully planned city named after the king who created the Hangeul alphabet. The government complex runs more than three kilometres with a walkable roof garden, a large lake sits at the centre, and housing is arranged in clusters, with a national arboretum alongside. There is no old town and no century-old market — but this is where you see how Korea imagines its urban future.
Best time to visit: April–June and September–October
Local specialties
- Sejong soybean stew
- Steamed rice cakes
- Local mushrooms
Places (5)
Sejong Lake Park
A large artificial lake at the heart of the new administrative city, with a floating stage shaped like a leaf.
Sejong Government Complex Rooftop Garden
A rooftop garden three and a half kilometres long linking the ministries, and a Guinness record.
National Library of Korea, Sejong
A library shaped like a turning page, built to serve the country's policy-making.
Sejong National Arboretum
Korea's first urban national arboretum, with a 30-metre glasshouse shaped like flower petals.
Geumgang Riverside & Ihan Bridge
A two-level footbridge over the Geumgang, its upper deck roofed and looped into an ellipse.