청 "Not a Conflict Between Old and New Powers... Sincere Commitment to Handover Remains Unchanged"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the Blue House has stepped in to halt President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's 'Yongsan era,' it expressed discomfort at interpretations framing this as a 'conflict between old and new powers,' emphasizing that "there is no change in the sincerity for the handover process."

Park Soo-hyun, the Blue House Chief of Public Communication, appeared consecutively on TBS and CBS radio interviews on the morning of the 22nd to stress this point.

On TBS radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' Park said, "Our sincerity, the genuine intention to ensure a better handover, has absolutely not changed," adding, "We are not opposing the relocation itself."

While the Blue House opposed the office relocation citing a 'security gap,' the transition committee has maintained its stance to "open the Blue House on May 10." In response, Park stated, "The Blue House has a crisis management center, and until midnight on May 9, as the commander-in-chief, it must protect the nation and the lives and safety of the people through that system," adding, "the question is how to immediately transfer that system right after one second."

With the Blue House stepping in to halt the office relocation, coordination for meetings between the two sides has also been suspended. Park said, "The Blue House's concerns about security gaps are separate from the meetings between the two leaders."

On CBS radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' Park also emphasized, "The conclusion is President Moon Jae-in's sincere intention for a better handover," stressing, "This is not a conflict or opposition between old and new powers."

As the government has emphasized a 'model handover,' it appears cautious about the conflicts surrounding the office relocation and meetings being perceived as a clash between old and new powers.

Park said, "How the crisis management center's system can be transferred to the president-elect without even a minute or second of gap is a problem that must be solved through close cooperation," adding, "I have no idea why this is understood as a conflict between old and new powers or opposition to the Yongsan relocation."