When distance dissolves
When I was starting out as a young journalist in the mid-1990s, a quiet anxiety rippled through the newsroom of the Korean-language economic daily where I worked. The government had expanded the Gwacheon Government Complex, and senior reporters routinely complained about having to travel "all the way" to a city nestled just south of Seoul. To them, Gwacheon felt like a daunting far frontier. Some…
In the mid-1990s, a young journalist in Korea experienced a growing unease about their job. The government had been expanding a complex in Gwacheon, a city just south of Seoul, and senior reporters often grumbled about the long commute to this new location. Gwacheon seemed like a distant and intimidating frontier to them, and some even wondered if they would eventually have to relocate entirely to stay in their roles.
This anxiety was not unfounded, considering the complex's history. When Phase 1 of the complex opened in December 1982, it marked a significant shift in Korean government administration. For the first time, major economic ministries like the Economic Planning Board and the Ministry of Finance moved their operations from downtown Seoul to Gwacheon.
This move was part of a pioneering experiment in administrative decentralization, aimed at distributing government functions beyond the capital city. By the 1990s, the Gwacheon experiment had matured and reached its full potential. The addition of a direct subway line linking the complex to Seoul further reduced the perceived distance between the two cities, potentially diminishing the reasons for senior journalists' apprehension about the new location.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- When distance dissolves koreatimes.co.kr
