Kwon Seong-dong: "Presidential Office Relocation to Yongsan Shows Yoon's Firm Will to Give Up Monarchic Power"

Criticism of the Expansion of Cheongwadae Staff

Kwon Seong-dong, Secretary-General of the People Power Party and General Support Headquarters Chief of the Party's Presidential Election Committee, who tendered his resignation at the party's election committee, is answering reporters' questions as he leaves the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People Power Party, supported President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's official announcement of the 'Presidential Office relocation to Yongsan,' stating, "Without change, a new era cannot be opened."

On the 20th, Kwon said on Facebook, "Starting from the first day of the term by leaving the Blue House and beginning work in a new office is an expression of President-elect Yoon's firm determination to voluntarily give up the powers of an imperial president."

He explained, "The pledge to dismantle the Blue House did not come out suddenly," adding, "It is a key pledge that emerged from the combination of proposals from aides who worked at the Blue House months ago and Yoon Seok-yeol's decision to end the era of the imperial presidency."

He continued, "The biggest reason for dismantling the Blue House is that the excessive expansion of the Blue House aides and the resulting harms of an imperial presidency are extremely serious."

He added, "Space governs people's consciousness. The president has been isolated in the Blue House, which is like a royal palace, and a small number of Blue House aides have held enormous power?a structure that has been repeated in every administration."

Furthermore, he said, "President-elect Yoon witnessed how serious problems the Blue House aides caused while investigating past power corruption," and "The pledge to dismantle the Blue House is a promise made because the president-elect accurately understood the nature of power."