Criticism of Security Gaps, Communication Breakdowns, Basic Rights Restrictions for Yongsan Area Residents, and Hasty Enforcement
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Members of the Democratic Party belonging to the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly expressed opposition on the 17th regarding President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's Presidential Transition Committee's (Transition Committee) plan to relocate the presidential office.
They held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center in the afternoon and stated, "It is known that Yoon Seok-yeol's Transition Committee is actively considering moving to the Ministry of National Defense building," and criticized, "Although they promised to open the Gwanghwamun era for communication with the people, when faced with practical difficulties, they are presenting the absurd option of relocating the Blue House presidential office to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense without any concrete plan as if it were a solution."
They pointed out, "It is absurd to suddenly decide and push for the presidential office relocation with just over two months left before the inauguration, and if the office is located within the Ministry of National Defense building, many side effects and unnecessary confusion will follow."
They then detailed their criticisms citing security gaps, communication breakdowns, restrictions on the basic rights of residents near Yongsan, and hasty enforcement.
They said, "If the office moves to the Ministry of National Defense, many departments and the Facilities Headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff currently performing duties there, as well as the Ministry of National Defense Support Group, will have to suspend their work and relocate by the end of March," pointing out that "this will cause a security gap."
Although the relocation is justified by communication reasons, they explained that it will only raise barriers to communication. They stated, "The Ministry of National Defense is designated as a military facility, and full access is restricted," adding, "The Ministry of National Defense building is an area where citizen access is blocked, limiting communication."
In particular, they viewed that the relocation decision could excessively restrict the basic rights of residents near Yongsan. They predicted, "If the office is relocated, additional military facilities will have to be established around Yongsan and the Namsan area," and "The ongoing Yongsan area development plan and reconstruction will be completely scrapped." Currently, buildings over five stories are prohibited around the Blue House area due to height restrictions.
They criticized, "The hasty push for office relocation is a typical example of presidential power abuse," stating, "The Yoon Seok-yeol Transition Committee is demanding that the Ministry of National Defense vacate the building by the end of March, remodel it during April, and move in by May. The end of March is only about 10 days away." They added, "Setting a deadline without considering the construction schedule and demanding completion is the ultimate power abuse."
They urged, "If President-elect Yoon's will to relocate the office is firm, he should actively adopt the method used by the Moon Jae-in administration," and emphasized, "The process should proceed step-by-step through normal procedures to establish social consensus and public agreement by conducting research by professional institutions and gathering opinions from stakeholders."
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