National Symbolic District in Sejong Administrative City
A civic parliament in dialogue with people and nature
- Location
- S. Korea, Sejong city
- Program
- Government
- Site
- 781,000 ㎡
- GFA
- 841,094 ㎡
- Status
- Design
- Client
- National Agency for Administrative City Construction
- Collaboration
- KCAP Architects&Planners (Netherlands), Bakery Urban Architects (Korea)
The Sejong National Symbolic District is envisioned as the spatial embodiment of Korea’s constitutional principle of popular sovereignty—power belonging to the people. More than a monumental civic space, it is designed as an open democratic platform where citizens, administration, and the legislature are closely connected through participation, transparency, and shared order.
At the heart of the masterplan is the concept of Civic Order—a social force formed through voluntary participation and shared norms rather than control. This principle is expressed through the metaphor of waves of light, symbolizing energy, openness, diffusion, flexibility, and cultural vitality as an urban expression of contemporary Korean democracy.
The project reinterprets Ilwolobongdo (Sun, Moon, and Five Peaks) as a new democratic landscape. Unlike the historical painting that represented royal authority, the New Ilwolobongdo places citizens at the center. Architecture and landscape inspired by natural elements form a symbolic composition in which authority shifts from hierarchy to a civic order sustained by collective participation.
Major national institutions are aligned with the site’s water systems, topography, and surrounding mountains, while civic spaces act as mediators, balancing tension and creating spatial harmony. The masterplan establishes a stable yet flexible spatial framework that respects natural flows and enables long-term adaptability. Through the development of the National Symbolic District, Sejong is positioned to complete its identity as Korea’s administrative capital—serving as a living laboratory of democracy, a platform for civic participation, and a national symbol that reflects both the present and future of Korean society.