Lee Jun-seok: "If President Moon had moved his office, he would have known that Yoon, not Choo, was correct"

President-elect Yoon Officially Confirms Relocation of Office to Yongsan
Lee Jun-seok: "A Move to Relinquish Power and a Willingness to Communicate with the People"

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is holding a press conference on the relocation of the Blue House presidential office to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building at the press conference room of the Presidential Transition Committee, located in the annex of the Korea Financial Training Institute in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 20th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, actively defended President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's pledge to relocate the presidential office, saying it reflects "the will to communicate with the people from a place closer to them, rather than being hidden away in a secluded palace."

On the 20th, Lee began on his Facebook, "There are criticisms within the party that the initial tasks of the transition team are being misunderstood, with the president-elect's intentions not being accurately grasped."

He elaborated, "Because the president, confined within the closed space of the Blue House, frequently became an autocratic ruler, leading to the president’s eyes and ears being covered and causing structural collapse of the governance system, efforts are being made to reform this."

He added, "If President Moon Jae-in had been in a more open space, exchanging opinions with a wider variety of people, and at least seen various faces on his commute, the Moon administration might have made many different choices. If he had communicated more with others and been closer to ordinary citizens, he might have realized earlier that Yoon Seok-yeol, not Minister Choo Mi-ae, was right."

Regarding the reason for President-elect Yoon’s planned relocation, Lee explained, "The president-elect’s move is a step to relinquish power and to communicate with the people from a place closer to them, not hidden away in a secluded palace." He also added, "The Democratic Party’s exaggeration of costs and disparagement of its effectiveness likely stems from the stark contrast to their own reclusive government."

Finally, Lee pledged, "If the president plans a presidential office where he can communicate more comfortably with the secretariat, the cabinet, and the people, the party will support ensuring that philosophy is reflected in party operations and overall governance."

On the 20th, Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, posted on his Facebook defending President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's pledge to relocate the presidential office. Photo by Lee, leader's Facebook capture

Meanwhile, President-elect Yoon officially confirmed the relocation of the presidential office to Yongsan. At a press conference held that morning, he explained the background of this decision, saying, "I understand concerns that moving the presidential office with only 50 days left before the start of the term might be rushed. However, once inside the Blue House grounds, it would become even more difficult to break away from the Blue House, a symbol of autocratic power."

He continued, "Considering the aspect of fully opening the Blue House to the public, I judged that it was right to promptly decide and proceed with relocating to the Ministry of National Defense building."