[Yoon President Inauguration] Opening of Yongsan Presidential Era... First Agenda: Approval of Han Duck-soo Appointment Proposal

No Parade After Inauguration Ceremony
Schedule Carried Out at Ministry of National Defense Office
Reception for US and Japan Celebration Delegations

Temporary Office Set Up on 5th Floor
Busy Preparing for Building Remodeling
Residents Mixed with Hope and Concern

[Asia Economy Reporters Donghoon Jeong and Gimin Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol, inaugurated as the 20th president, carried out his first schedule at the Yongsan Presidential Office after the inauguration ceremony. This marks the beginning of the Yongsan presidential era, ending the Blue House era.

After completing the inauguration ceremony held at the National Assembly in the morning, President Yoon skipped the car parade and arrived at the Yongsan office at 12:45 PM. At the office, he approved the nomination consent bill for Prime Minister candidate Han Duck-soo as his first official act. Since President Yoon declared a responsible prime minister system even before his inauguration, this is interpreted as a plan to eliminate any government vacancy through a swift prime minister approval. In the afternoon, he will meet congratulatory delegations from overseas countries including the United States and Japan at the office.

◆ Temporary office on the 5th floor... a streamlined workspace ＝ The new presidential office building, consisting of 10 floors, houses the office, secretariat, and press room together. The office is set up on both the 2nd and 5th floors. After the Korea-US joint military exercises conclude on the 28th of this month and the Ministry of National Defense relocates, floors 2, 3, and 4 will be remodeled by mid-June. The 1st floor will include a press conference hall. While the Blue House had three office buildings, the secretariat in the Yongsan building will be downsized, but will include a meeting room for the Public-Private Joint Committee Secretariat.

The new presidential office name will be decided through a public contest until the 15th of next month. President Yoon previously suggested the name "People's House (PH)" in an interview with foreign media. The press room on the 1st floor of the presidential office was named "Press Room with the People" to reflect President Yoon’s intention to communicate with the public.

◆ Residents "Half hopeful, half concerned" = On the morning of President Yoon’s inauguration day at 10 AM, the office building was busy with final preparations for remodeling. On the 9th, a day before the inauguration, and on the inauguration day itself, large trucks and workers were coming and going near the Yongsan office building to complete construction. Presidential office staff requested government officials and reporters entering through the basement level 1 entrance to install a smartphone security application and distributed security stickers. Since the speed gates on the 1st floor have not yet been completed, construction was ongoing that day as well.

Outside the building, road maintenance and environmental cleanup continued. Officials from Yongsan District Office were trimming trees and park flower beds on the sidewalks in preparation to welcome President Yoon. Road maintenance around Gate 13 of the Yongsan US military base, which is likely to be a main access route for President Yoon along with the presidential office main gate, was also completed. Gate 13 is currently controlled by the 101 Security Unit police under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

However, local residents and merchants expressed mixed feelings about the Yongsan office. A merchant near Samgakji Station, Mr. A (62), said, "There is an expectation that the presidential office will become a landmark in the area and business will improve." But concerns were also raised about traffic congestion and rising rents in the surrounding commercial areas. Mr. Kim (37), who lives near Samgakji Station, said, "The area near Samgakji is an important route connecting Gangnam, downtown, and Mapo, and traffic congestion is severe every morning during rush hour. I am worried that it will get worse with the presidential office moving here."