시민을 위한 열림, 정부 세종 청사

The new government complex in Sejong has been completed on December 23rd, 2014 at PAT(Public Administration Town), the one of the six main districts in MAC (Multiple Administrative City). It is composed of 36 government departments and agencies including prime minister’s office and tax tribunal. With wrapping up of relocation of government departments and agencies, the largest public building complex in one of the newest planned city of Korea is about to launch. It’s very meaningful for us to examine the process and development of the complex and to anticipate the future of the new administrative capital city at this point. Current concept and scheme of the Sejong government complex is originated from the 1st prize entry of the international competition ‘MPPAT: Master Plan for Public Administration Town’ in 2007. The title of winning scheme was ‘Flat City, Link City, Zero City’. Each word represents the symbolism of the town, the idea and philosophy of the new government building complex, and the concepts of sustainability, respectively. The progressive and unconventional selected scheme was received well by both government and the public at first, but the scheme has been revised and changed from its original intention during its realization. Among the significant changes from the original master plan, we had better re-examine and clarify several issues; misinterpretation of symbolism, uncomfortableness of practical issues such as long circulation and security, and the attitude of openness toward the public to bring the new government complex to a next level. First, ‘dragon-like’, the popular expression by the journalism should be replaced by its original idea; ‘Flat City’, the word symbolizes the 21C nonhierarchical citizen’s town. Second, we should understand the long circulation is unavoidable result of the gigantic building complexes. Third, the contemporary concept of ‘security’ must be weighed from physical protection to electronic. and the lastly, the complex will be working better with the government’ s open attitude to the public. The fate of the new government complex in the new administrative capital city of Korea is in our hands. As human history has been showing the clear orientation of development of civilization; from totalitarianism to individualism, from autocracy to democracy, and from uniformity to diversity, the future development of our government facilities should be with views from settlement to old proven things to the new changes to influence the people to reorganize their attitude towards our lives and civilization.