An ultra-modern city in Asia which is only 18 years old and cost billions to build looks like something from the future. Many Asian countries are at the forefront of innovation when it comes to their cities, from smart public transport to sky-high skyscrapers and more futuristic features that put many other global cities to shame. There is one that was only built 18 years ago and cost its government a staggering £14 billion to complete, multiple sources estimate.

Sejong City is located in South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, and is the country’s administrative capital city. Seoul is the main capital of South Korea, but plans were announced in 2002 to introduce Sejong as an administrative capital of South Korea, with Seoul to stay as the primary capital city of the country. Government agencies began to relocate to Sejong City in 2012 after the city was built in 2007. Relocation of some of the government’s administrative funtions were suggested to ease congestion to Seoul. While this project is more than impressive, it hasn’t had the desired goal of the government.

Sejong City is home to under 400,000 residents, a very small city by South Korean standards and dwarfed by Seoul, which has a population of 9.4 million. This is despite government efforts to encourage people to relocate there.

The city remains incomplete, with construction planned until the year 2030. Sejong has been dubbed a “smart city”, using technology to enhance sustainability and livability. However, many have claimed that the city does not live up to its promises.

Much of the city’s public transport is unfinished, such as its subway system, and its buses are said to be unreliable. Meanwhile, the nearest train station is a 45-minute drive away.

In terms of things to do in Sejong City, there are a number of temples that people can visit. Other than that, you will find a range of restaurants, but there isn’t much else in the way of tourism here.

There is Sejong Lake Park, which has plenty of green space and some theme park attractions. There is also Sejong National Arboretum, which is home to 1.72 million plants of 2834 species.

Sejong City was named after King Sejong the Great, who was the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty and creator of the Korean alphabet. Reddit users have shared what life is like in Sejong City, describing why they like it and what is missing.

One person shared: “Personally I love it. However, it is not the place to come to if you like the nightlife or concerts. It’s a quiet place that has bars and some pool halls. But other than that, there is mostly outdoor hiking, bicycling, and quiet living.”

Another said: “It’s a nice, new, well planned city in a country with very few well planned cities. Parks everywhere, hiking trails, and an extremely pedestrian/bike friendly design. Lots and lots of new modern apartment complexes with underground parking and pedestrian friendly spaces on the ground floor.”

A third wrote: “I lived there for about 2 years. It’s nice to live there because all the facilities and buildings and stuff are relatively new and clean. They have really nice parks but it’s pretty boring compared to other cities and the main city area is really small too.”