Minister Yoon Hojung: "Actively Considering Relocating MCIA Daejeon Office Back to Daejeon"

Mayor Heo Taejung Strongly Requests
"Permanent Headquarters Should Be in Daejeon"

From the left, Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, Heo Taejung, Mayor of Daejeon, and Park Yonggap, Member of the National Assembly (Photo by Daejeon City)

Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, has stated that he will actively consider relocating the Daejeon office of the Major Crime Investigation Agency (MCIA) back to Daejeon.

On July 29, during a meeting at the National Assembly with Heo Taejung, Mayor of Daejeon, and Park Yonggap, Member of the National Assembly, Minister Yoon confirmed this position in response to a strong request for the MCIA Daejeon branch to return to Daejeon.

On the same day, Mayor Heo conveyed local concerns to Minister Yoon regarding the opening of the MCIA Daejeon office’s temporary headquarters in Sejong. He also emphasized that, for efficient operations, the agency’s permanent office should be located in Daejeon, where legal functions are highly concentrated.

The government plans to separate the Prosecution Service and MCIA and launch them as independent organizations by October 2, 2026, as part of its prosecutorial reform effort.

However, while temporary offices for regional MCIA branches were announced on the first of this month, the Sejong office building was selected for Daejeon’s temporary headquarters on the grounds that no suitable building was available in Daejeon.

Civil society and legal professionals in Daejeon have expressed their opposition, stating that it is unreasonable to locate the MCIA Daejeon office in Sejong simply due to a lack of suitable buildings in Daejeon. They are also concerned that if the agency moves further away from the Daejeon legal town, it could result in inefficient judicial administration, which would undermine people’s access to quality legal services.

Previously, Daejeon City had recommended the former Jungbu Police Station—a building previously used for investigative purposes—as a possible location for the temporary headquarters. However, the MCIA task force dismissed the proposal due to insufficient space and excessive remodeling costs.

Together with Assemblyman Park Yonggap, Daejeon City has conducted a comprehensive survey of national and public land within the city suitable for constructing a new public office. During the meeting, they proposed three locations, including the site of the former Daejeon Tax Office in Jung-gu.

Meanwhile, during the selection process for the temporary headquarters, the government indicated that it is considering Daejeon as a candidate site for the agency’s permanent office.

Mayor Heo stated, "In order for the MCIA Daejeon office to fulfill its function, collaboration with other legal institutions is essential. I will actively work with local lawmakers to ensure that the MCIA Daejeon office can be relocated back to Daejeon, where the legal town is concentrated."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.