Next to the Chief Secretary's Office, the Presidential Office... Reports Begin with Just a 'Knock Knock' [One Week of the Yongsan Era]

"Mutually Close, Experiencing Efficiency"
Discussing Issues Without Reports
Direct Movement Without Passing Through the Secretariat
Enabling Informal Communication

"Space Dominates Consciousness"
Four Media Contacts in Seven Days
Meeting Citizens at the Market on Weekends
Staff Also Willing to Communicate with Various Sectors

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] "(President Yoon Suk-yeol) said not to be bound by formality and procedure, and that if I have something to say, I should knock on the door anytime. I actually knocked on the office door and went inside to see the president."

Presidential office officials with past experience working at the Blue House described the newly established Yongsan Presidential Office after the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in this way. On the 5th floor of the Yongsan building where the presidential office is located, the chief secretaries' offices for economy, public relations, and social affairs are tightly packed together. The economic and social chief secretaries' offices, which are closest to the presidential office, are less than ten steps away. One week after the president's inauguration, it is clear that the threshold to enter the Yongsan presidential office is significantly lower than that of the Blue House.

◆"Knocking on the office door to see the president"= During his candidacy, President Yoon announced plans to relocate the Blue House to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building, stating that "space governs consciousness." This means that once you enter, it is difficult to leave. As President Yoon said, having aides near the office has increased the impact on work efficiency and open communication.

In the case of the Blue House, the main building where the presidential office is located, the Yeomin-gwan where aides work, and the Chunchoogwan where reporters are stationed are separate buildings. The straight-line distance from Yeomin-gwan to the main building is about 500 meters. Because of this, aides at the Blue House used to coordinate meeting times with the president through the secretariat after meetings, and in urgent cases, they had to travel by car or bicycle within the Blue House grounds. The secretariat, which was the contact point for external communication, became a center of power. Former President Moon Jae-in, who pledged to establish a Gwanghwamun presidential era, also used a separate office in Yeomin-gwan.

On the 5th floor of the Yongsan presidential office building are the presidential office, the offices of the political, civil society, public relations, economic, and social chief secretaries, the chief of staff, the director of national security, and the head of the security office. The presidential office space was modeled after the White House in the United States. When aides have issues or reports, they knock on the presidential office door and report directly without going through the secretariat. A senior presidential office official said, "Over the past week, I have knocked on the presidential office door several times to report," adding, "I am experiencing firsthand the communication emphasized by President Yoon."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆Yoon: "The format of the memo does not matter"= Another senior presidential office official described this as a "mutually close working space." Because of the close proximity, a natural atmosphere of informal discussion and meetings has formed. A legal professional who worked with President Yoon during his time as Seoul Central District Prosecutor and Prosecutor General said, "President Yoon values hearing from aides and subordinates about related work," and added, "He must have naturally considered an efficient way to discuss work even before his inauguration."

This also led to breaking away from formalism. President Yoon recently advised his aides that there is no need to strictly prepare reports in document format. The senior official said, "The president told us, 'You don't have to bring all the documents when you have something to report,'" and added, "He said, 'Write the relevant issues on a memo and come to my office.'" He explained, "This means pursuing a direction that prioritizes speed and efficiency over formality."

During the first week of his presidency, President Yoon expanded his communication beyond aides to include the media and the public. In the first seven days after his inauguration, President Yoon directly engaged with the media four times. On the day after his inauguration, he arrived at the presidential office on the first floor and held a Q&A session with reporters, explaining the value of unity. On the 12th, he answered reporters' questions while arriving at the Yongsan building basement. On the 14th, after touring the first-floor press room, he held a Q&A session with reporters. On the 16th, after delivering a policy speech at the National Assembly in Yeouido, he met with the media to share his impressions of the speech. On the 8th day of his presidency, he also briefly answered reporters' questions about ministerial appointments on his way to the office.

Last weekend, he visited department stores and markets to meet citizens. A presidential office official emphasized the president's commuting, saying, "There has never been a time when the president's commuting was so transparently disclosed to the general public," adding, "When the president was at the Blue House, there was no way to know about his commuting."

Aides are also engaging in communication with various sectors. President Yoon removed restrictions on aides' lunch breaks. The presidential office explained this as a determination to accurately grasp public sentiment and reflect it in state affairs.

The chief secretaries' offices are expected to follow the president's main office. Once the formal office on the 2nd floor is completed next month, the workspaces of key aides are also expected to move.