[Asia Economy Reporters Junyi Park and Gimin Lee] President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol announced on the 20th that he will relocate the presidential office from the Blue House to the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul.
President-elect Yoon made this announcement at 11 a.m. during a press conference held at the annex of the Korea Financial Training Institute in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, where the transition team office is located.
He stated, "During the election process, I promised to return the Blue House, a symbol of imperial power, to the people. I said I would move the presidential office closer to the people at Gwanghwamun. Currently, the Blue House’s main building and the secretariat building are separated, which hindered smooth communication between the president and aides. This was to improve that and enhance smooth communication and work efficiency." He added, "In particular, I promised to break away from the closed nature of the Blue House space and always communicate with the people to properly heed their will."
He continued, "During the process of establishing the pledge, various issues were thoroughly reviewed by experts, but after the election, a detailed examination of relocating the office to the Gwanghwamun government buildings revealed that it is not an easy matter," explaining the background of relocating the presidential office to Yongsan.
He further emphasized, "On the other hand, the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff area is equipped with national security command facilities, allowing us to fully return the Blue House to the citizens with almost no inconvenience caused by security measures." He added, "The Yongsan area has already been developed on the premise of protecting military facilities, so there will be no additional regulations even if the Blue House relocates." President-elect Yoon also highlighted that since the return of the U.S. base in Yongsan is scheduled, a Yongsan Park will be created to facilitate interaction and communication with the people.
Regarding the Ministry of National Defense relocation, he said, "The (U.S.-South Korea) Combined Forces Command is moving to Pyeongtaek, freeing up space, so there are no major restrictions on the Ministry of National Defense moving to the Joint Chiefs of Staff building. Since it is a move within the same compound, the cost of relocating the office can be minimized." He emphasized, "The Joint Chiefs of Staff building was located in Yongsan considering cooperation with the Combined Forces Command, but with the Combined Forces Command moving to Pyeongtaek, I think it is appropriate to move to the Namtaryeong area, where the war command headquarters is located."
President-elect Yoon acknowledged concerns about rushing the office relocation with only 50 days left before the term begins, saying, "I understand the concerns about moving the presidential office too hastily at this point. However, once inside the Blue House grounds, I judged that it would be even more difficult to break away from the Blue House, a symbol of imperial power." He reiterated, "Considering the inconvenience to the people and the aspect of fully opening the Blue House to the public, I believe it is right to promptly decide and proceed with relocating to the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan."
Regarding the use of existing Blue House facilities, he emphasized, "The Blue House will be opened to the public and returned to the people on May 10, the start of my term. I will return the main building, the guesthouse, as well as the Nokjiwon, known as the best garden, and Sangchunjae, all to the people’s possession."
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