Sejong or Sejong City (Korean: 세종; .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Korean: [seːdʑoŋ] ⓘ), officially Sejong Special Self-Governing City[3] (세종특별자치시), is a special self-governing city and the de facto administrative capital of South Korea. Sejong was founded in 2007 as the new planned capital of South Korea from many parts of the South Chungcheong Province and some parts of North Chungcheong Province to ease congestion in South Korea's current capital and largest city, Seoul, and encourage investment in the country's central region. Since 2012, the government of South Korea has relocated numerous ministries and agencies to Sejong, but many still reside in other cities, primarily Seoul, where the National Assembly and many important government bodies remain. Sejong has a population of 351,007 as of 2020 and covers a geographic area of 465.23 km2 (179.63 sq mi), making it the least-populous and smallest first-level administrative division in South Korea. Sejong is located in the west-central Hoseo region, bordering South Chungcheong to the west, Daejeon to the south, and North Chungcheong to the east.