A growing number of workers say they are uneasy about the government's move to relocate public financial institutions out of Seoul, with the list of affected organizations expected to be made public as early as next week.

"It feels like it's finally happening. There have been talks about relocation before, usually around elections, but this time the government seems to be seriously pushing it," said an employee surnamed Kim at a state-run bank.

"It's not just about having to move our homes. We're also concerned that the relocation could affect the efficiency of our work, since we have to communicate frequently with businesses based in Seoul," he said.

An official at the Financial Services Commission (FSC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the relocation to Sejong appeared to be a "done deal."

"'I'm trying to come to terms with it and figure out what to do with my family, including whether we should find a new apartment in Sejong," the official said.

The FSC and the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) will likely be among the institutions considered for relocation to Sejong, the country's administrative capital.

State-run banks are being linked to separate moves, with Korea Development Bank and Export-Import Bank of Korea potentially headed for Busan, and the Industrial Bank of Korea to Daegu.

The relocation drive is part of Lee Jae Myung administration's broader push to move public institutions outside the capital and ease the country's heavy concentration around Seoul.

But for many employees in these institutions, the concerns go beyond the inconvenience of moving their homes. They also worry that moving out of Seoul could make their day-to-day work more difficult.

Major financial institutions such as banks and brokerages are concentrated in Seoul, where regulators need to maintain close contact with them and other key market institutions on issues requiring a quick response.

The concern is particularly strong at the FSS, which employs large numbers of lawyers, accountants and other specialists. Employees and union officials fear that a move to Sejong could accelerate the loss of experienced professionals.

The FSS labor union issued a statement strongly opposing the relocation.

"We are deeply concerned that the government's push to relocate public financial institutions could end up moving the financial watchdog away from the front lines of supervision," the union said, warning that the move could weaken the agency's expertise and undermine its ability to protect financial consumers.

Labor unions at state-run banks are also preparing for collective action.

The nationwide Financial Industry Workers' Union formed a joint task force with unions representing 14 financial institutions and is preparing rallies and a possible general strike over the relocation push.

In a vote held last week, 96.1 percent of union members backed the planned general strike. The union plans to hold a rally in Yeouido on Aug. 28 and a general strike on Sept. 4.

The union held a press conference near Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, calling for the government to "immediately stop attempts to shake up policy lenders based on political calculations" and delivered a letter of protest to the presidential office.