Options for the Capital of a Reunified Korea

This paper examines the question of where the capital of a reunified Korea might be located. It does not address the issue of if, and when, the two Koreas might be reunited. Rather it assumes for the purpose of this discussion that reunification will take place someday. In that event, it explores the prospects for four alternatives: Seoul, the current capital of South Korea; Pyŏngyang, the capital of North Korea (formally, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK); Sejong City, Chungcheong Province (the formerly planned new capital of South Korea, later scaled back to the “New Administrative City” after a constitutional setback, with a subsequent name change to a “Directly Governed City”); and Kaesong, a city and ancient capital of Korea, located in North Korea close to the DMZ (the De-Militarized Zone).