Issue Turning agency relocation into regional innovation ecosystems linked to flagship national universities

Summary

One major limit of the first wave was that relocated agencies tended to operate in isolation, without strong cooperation with local universities, research institutes and private firms. As a result, spillovers into private investment and regional economic revitalisation stayed limited, and the agencies did not fully act as anchors of regional innovation. Since a key reason young people leave for the capital region is the concentration of good universities and jobs there, the report proposes packaging relocation with the flagship national university policy, often called making ten Seoul National Universities, and the five-pole strategy. Relocated agencies would sign hiring agreements and offer internships to local graduates, universities would open specialised departments and graduate courses matched to agency research needs, and both would help private firms and startups cluster in the region. If this works, young people could come to trust that they can build careers outside the capital, encouraging voluntary settlement and a virtuous cycle of public jobs and university talent.