"There's No Reason to Spend 1 Trillion Won, Moving by May 10 Is Definitely Possible"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Ju-hee] Yoon Han-hong, a member of the People Power Party, responded to the Democratic Party of Korea's claim that more than 1 trillion won would be needed to relocate the Blue House by saying, "Why would it cost 1 trillion won?" and added, "Doesn't the Democratic Party like the number 1 trillion? It immediately reminds me of Daejang-dong."
Yoon, who is the head of the Blue House Relocation Task Force under the Presidential Transition Committee, said in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 21st, "They say the relocation project, which costs less than 50 billion won, will cost 1 trillion won. It reminds me of the mad cow disease (incitement), and I don't understand why this is happening."
President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol estimated in a press conference the previous day that relocating the Blue House to the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, would cost 49.6 billion won. The detailed breakdown includes 11.8 billion won to relocate the Ministry of National Defense to the Joint Chiefs of Staff building, 35.2 billion won to create the presidential office in the Ministry of National Defense building and move the Blue House security office, and 2.5 billion won for remodeling the Hannam-dong official residence to be used as the presidential residence.
When asked if the relocation could be completed by May 10, when President-elect Yoon assumes office, Yoon said, "It is definitely possible," and added, "We are preparing well. If the current government actively cooperates with the allocation of contingency funds, I believe there will be no major issues in moving into the Ministry of National Defense building."
Regarding the cost of relocation, when the host asked, "The Ministry of National Defense says 500 billion won, while the Ministry of Economy and Finance says 49.6 billion won," Yoon emphasized that "There is no reason for it to cost 500 billion won. If you give me 500 billion won, I will spend within 50 billion won and return 450 billion won," stressing that the Blue House relocation is sufficiently possible with 49.6 billion won.
He continued, "Former Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung said it cost 470.8 billion won to relocate the Gyeonggi Provincial Office. So where does the 1 trillion won come from? It's a ridiculous story," drawing a clear line against the unfounded claim of 1 trillion won for the Blue House relocation.
Regarding concerns from Yongsan residents about the Blue House relocation causing suspension of urban development projects, Yoon said, "Just because the presidential office moves there doesn't change any regulations," and emphasized, "There are already many high-rise apartments built around the area." He added, "If commuting causes inconvenience to the public, such as traffic issues, wouldn't it be better to select an appropriate site near the office and build a new one? We are reviewing such options."
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