What President-elect Yoon Sukyeol's Obsession with the Blue House Office Is Overlooking

Truly Important Issues Are Being Overlooked
"What is the Point of Disrupting People's Daily Lives?"
The Key Is to Communicate with the Media and Be Willing to Answer Questions

President-elect Yoon Sukyeol is meeting with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at his office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 18th, listening to Ban's opinions on recent international issues. Photo by Yoon Dongju doso7@

[Asia Economy, reporter Lee Hyunju] The first major policy task for President-elect Yoon Sukyeol has become the relocation of the presidential office from the Blue House. Even before the official formation of the Presidential Transition Committee, the issue of relocating the presidential office dominated media coverage, and it is now reported that as early as tomorrow, Yoon may announce his position on the matter through a press conference. According to the spokesperson's office for the president-elect, Yoon visited both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building and the Ministry of National Defense building, which are candidate sites for the new office, on March 19. Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases, the outbreak of war between Ukraine and Russia, and growing economic concerns, the relocation of the presidential office has rapidly progressed, moving from Gwanghwamun (Ministry of Foreign Affairs building) to Yongsan (Ministry of National Defense building).

It is not entirely unreasonable to review the idea of relocating the presidential office from the Blue House. The lack of communication from the Blue House has always been an important social issue. If there are structural problems, it is a matter worth considering. However, controversy has arisen over whether this is an issue that should have been decided so hastily, just about a week after the election, whether it is the most urgent matter for the transition committee to discuss, and whether the decision-making process was appropriate.

At the center of the issue is, notably, the so-called "core Yoon Sukyeol associates," often referred to as "Yoonhaekgwan." The "Blue House Relocation Task Force," which is searching for a new location for the presidential office, is led by Yoon Han-hong, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, and Kim Yong-hyun, former Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has been nominated as the head of the Presidential Security Service. While the specific personnel may not be the most important issue, the fact that this team was formed suddenly and unofficially makes it difficult to avoid criticism that the idea was rushed. According to various media reports, the task force visited the Ministry of National Defense building on March 14 and 15 to discuss the relocation, and the final report was completed on March 16.

On the 18th, Yoon Seokyeol, the president-elect, Ahn Cheolsoo, the transition committee chairman, and other attendees posed after the plaque ceremony held at the transition committee set up in the Financial Supervisory Service Training Institute in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yoon Dongjoo doso7@

The reason the issue of relocating the presidential office has become so contentious is not only because it is a matter of long-term national significance, but also largely due to actions taken by President-elect Yoon himself. If key associates had been more discreet, and if Yoon and the transition committee had introduced other policy issues, the situation might have been different. It is likely that the media’s attention could have been diverted as well. However, Yoon’s team failed to present such alternative policy agendas. Political commentator Yoo Changsun pointed out on his Facebook page, "At a time when the president-elect should be proposing policies that would earn overwhelming public support and raise approval ratings, he has spent a week wrestling with the highly controversial issue of relocating to Yongsan. As a result, other important issues affecting people's livelihoods have been buried and are no longer visible."

Ultimately, communication is a matter of listening. True listening cannot be achieved simply by changing or reducing physical distance. It stems from an attitude of respecting others and is only complete when that respect is put into practice. As the president-elect, since Yoon has said he would not eat lunch alone, he could use lunchtime as an opportunity to engage with others. Once in office, he could hold more frequent press briefings and address the public more often. Former lawmaker Yoon Heesook wrote on Facebook, "I fully support the idea of 'going to the people.' However, there are many ways to do this, so I hope various options are considered over time," adding, "Is it really necessary to disrupt people's daily lives just to insert oneself into them?" She continued, "'Going to the people' is more a matter of mindset than of physical space. Constantly communicating with the media and being willing to answer questions is the way to reach citizens who are tired of a lack of communication."