Yongsan Relocation Cost May Be Submitted on the 5th... Cheong "Need to See Today's Situation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Blue House has hinted at the possibility of submitting a supplementary budget proposal for the relocation of the presidential office to Yongsan to the Cabinet meeting as early as the 5th. The Blue House and the Presidential Transition Committee plan to hold consultations on the 4th.

Park Soo-hyun, the Blue House Chief of Public Communication, appeared on CBS Radio that day and, when asked whether the supplementary budget approval proposal would be submitted to the Cabinet meeting, said, "It has not been included yet," but added, "Today's situation is important."

The Transition Committee had requested 49.6 billion won in supplementary budget from the government for the relocation of the Yongsan office. However, the government did not submit it, citing security gaps, and it was not brought up at the Cabinet meeting on the 29th, the day after the meeting between President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol.

However, it is known that the Blue House and the Transition Committee reached a compromise after consultations to first approve only the supplementary budget in the 30 billion won range, excluding the Joint Chiefs of Staff relocation costs, which had security gap controversies, thus signaling a green light for the proposal submission. Regarding the scale of the supplementary budget, Chief Park refused to comment specifically, saying, "It is something that can only be known once it is submitted through government ministries."

The Transition Committee also seems to be avoiding specific comments on the scale of the supplementary budget officially. Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the President-elect, told reporters at Tongui-dong that "The original large-scale budget requirement is 46.9 billion won," and added, "Regarding how much progress has been made, there will be coordination within ministries such as the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Ministry of National Defense, and consultations with the Blue House."

Accordingly, depending on the consultation results, the supplementary budget proposal is likely to be approved as early as the 5th or later during the week. Chief Park said, "As of now, I understand that the supplementary budget approval proposal for the office relocation is not included in the agenda for the Cabinet meeting on the 5th," and added, "Depending on today's situation, it may be submitted tomorrow, or an extraordinary Cabinet meeting may be held during the week."