Turf War Between New and Old Forces Over Office Relocation: "Can't We Just Use It?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Intense tensions are unfolding between the old and new factions over President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's plan to relocate the presidential office. While the Blue House directly addressed the 'lack of communication controversy,' Tak Hyun-min, the Blue House Protocol Secretary, sarcastically remarked, "Can't we just use it?"

On the 17th, Secretary Tak stated on his Facebook, "If you are not going to use this place (the Blue House), I want to ask if we can just use it. We will gather with good people and manage it well."

Secretary Tak cited reasons such as "the hundreds of millions of won worth of various facilities already installed, operated, and reinforced, the numerous histories since liberation, and the dignity of various state guest events," adding, "I will also miss the gardener who has worked since President Roh Tae-woo's era, the cafeteria staff who always prepared warm meals, and Mr. Amugae, the snow management officer who orally shared countless stories not even found in books."

Secretary Tak said, "Personally, I have no objection to the President-elect's move to the Blue House," but also stated, "When Japan turned Changgyeonggung Palace into a zoo, they said they would return it to the 'subjects' (sinmin)." He compared the President-elect's side to the Japanese colonial government at that time and the people to 'sinmin' (subjects).

In response, Heo Eun-ah, the senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, expressed regret over Secretary Tak Hyun-min's behavior, which "consistently relies on his characteristic mockery and sarcasm even with less than two months left in the term," and criticized it as "dividing the Blue House, which belongs solely to the people, as if it were 'ours' again."

She added, "Comparing the President-elect, who promised to return the previously closed Blue House to the people, to Japan and the people to subjects (臣民) of the monarchy era is an insult to all citizens of the Republic of Korea," and said, "As Blue House aides who should be fully devoted to a seamless transfer of power, today's remarks are very inappropriate."

The power struggle between the old and new factions over the Blue House office relocation seems to be intensifying. On the same day, Park Soo-hyun, the Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Communication, also indirectly criticized the President-elect's 'office relocation' through Facebook, stating, "The Moon Jae-in Blue House is not a structure of poor communication."

Although Secretary Park added a caveat hoping that his post "would not be read as criticism of the next government's Blue House relocation," considering that the transition team cites the Blue House's 'lack of communication structure' as one of the reasons for the office relocation, it can also be interpreted as a veiled criticism. Secretary Park emphasized, "President Moon Jae-in himself came down to the Secretary Office Building and uses the third-floor office in Yeomin 1-gwan," adding, "All Blue House aides can meet and communicate with President Moon within 1 to 2 minutes at any time."