'From Contingency Funds to the Relocation of the Ministry of National Defense'... Presidential Office, Cooperation from Moon Administration is Key

Execution of Contingency Fund Spending and Relocation of Current Government Minister's Office Requires Cooperation from Current Government
Democratic Party Opposes... Meeting Between Lee Cheol-hee and Jang Je-won Serves as a Compass
Likely to Be Decided in Meeting Between President Moon and President-elect Yoon

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol has decided to relocate the presidential office to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense new building, but there are criticisms that the 'details' are lacking. Since the relocation of the current government's ministers' offices or the use of contingency funds requires the cooperation of the president-elect, the government's will is said to be of utmost importance.

① Contingency Fund Execution= According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 21st, the Presidential Transition Committee requested the execution of contingency funds related to the relocation of the presidential office the day before. As President-elect Yoon expressed his intention to start work in Yongsan, they plan to request contingency funds to cover all costs associated with the relocation of the presidential office. For now, the cost has been estimated at 49.6 billion KRW. This includes costs for relocating the Ministry of National Defense to the Joint Chiefs of Staff building, setting up the presidential office in that space, and converting the Army Chief of Staff’s residence into the presidential residence. President-elect Kim Eun-hye said at a briefing held at the Financial Training Institute in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, "After review by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, it is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet meeting tomorrow," adding, "I understand that the current government's cooperation for this is based on trust." The spokesperson explained, "I heard that the related contingency fund is highly likely to be submitted to the Cabinet meeting tomorrow."

However, opposition from the Democratic Party of Korea is a variable. Yoon Ho-jung, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party, criticized at the Emergency Committee meeting regarding the execution of contingency funds, saying, "The transition committee does not have the authority to compel the government." Kim Sung-hwan, the Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party, also stated, "If you insist on moving the Blue House, it is not something that President-elect Yoon can quickly resolve while performing presidential duties with public consensus," and added, "This week, discussions should be held in the National Defense Committee, the Strategy and Finance Committee, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Committee."

② Overstepping Controversy= Controversy has also been raised regarding the urgent push to relocate the Ministry of National Defense during the current government's term while concluding the next government's office relocation issue. Above all, discussions are being held without prior coordination between the current and next governments. President-elect Yoon decided on the office relocation to Yongsan yesterday, appearing to enter a speed race. The key issue is whether the current government will respond to this speed race.

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

Park Soo-hyun, the Blue House Chief of Public Communication, conveyed the atmosphere on a radio show, saying, "The basic stance is to respect everything." However, it is uncertain whether the contingency fund will be finalized at the Cabinet meeting on the 22nd. Park said, "I think there will be broad discussions on how to realize the president-elect's will to bring the Blue House closer to the people," adding, "It is also possible to hold an interim Cabinet meeting at any time." A key official from President-elect Yoon's side said, "We expect all issues to be resolved when Lee Cheol-hee, Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, meets with Jang Je-won, Chief of Staff to the President." For this reason, the execution of contingency funds is expected to be concluded after a meeting between President Moon and President-elect Yoon.

③ Security Gap Concerns= If the Blue House office moves to the Ministry of National Defense new building, the Blue House National Disaster Safety Communication Network is expected to be unusable for a while. Currently, the Ministry of National Defense new building only has the Defense Broadband Communication Network (M-BcN), which connects 2,321 military units.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

For President-elect Yoon to start work at the Ministry of National Defense new building, the National Disaster Safety Communication Network installed at the Blue House National Crisis Center must be relocated to the Ministry of National Defense new building. However, relocating it before inauguration is practically impossible. The National Disaster Safety Communication Network is a network introduced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, connecting about 2,300 terminals across the Coast Guard, Fire Agency, Police Agency, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others. Former Justice Party lawmaker Kim Jong-dae said, "The Blue House Crisis Management Center must act as a control tower for natural disasters, social unrest, and diplomatic security situations, but relocating the communication network is not easy, and stabilization after relocation will take more than a year."

④ Additional Cost Issues= Controversy over the cost of relocating the presidential office is also expected to continue. President-elect Yoon explained that the total relocation cost is 49.6 billion KRW, but at Namtaeryeong, the Joint Chiefs of Staff staff offices and residences are insufficient, requiring new construction. Considering the cost of building a new residence, a large park around the office, and a guesthouse for foreign state events, astronomical budgets are inevitable. If the Democratic Party pressures with a livelihood frame, the burden during the office relocation process is expected to be unavoidable.