Candidates including Gukmin House, Gukmin Cheongsa, and Minum Cheongsa... Public preference survey via online voting until the 9th
[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The new presidential office, which has moved from the Blue House to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building, will have its name decided by the people. On the 31st of last month, the "Presidential Office New Name Committee" was launched to select the name for the Yongsan presidential office, and the final review of the submitted names has also begun.
So far, a total of five names have been selected as final candidates: ▲Gukminui Jip (House of the People) ▲Gukmin Cheongsa (People's Government Building) ▲Min-eum Cheongsa ▲Bareunnuri ▲Itaewon-ro 22. The Presidential Office New Name Committee reviewed about 30,000 submissions. A presidential office official stated, "We conducted an in-depth review including a full examination of 30,000 submissions, high-frequency vocabulary analysis, and four rounds of voting, resulting in the unanimous selection of five candidates by the committee."
Among these, "Gukminui Jip" implies that the people are the owners of the presidential office and that the office is a space open to all citizens. Previously, President Yoon Suk-yeol mentioned the provisional name "People's House" in a foreign media interview.
"Gukmin Cheongsa" means a public space for the people, and beyond being a government building, it embodies the meaning of listening to (聽) and thinking about (思) the people's voices.
"Min-eum Cheongsa" refers to a government office that listens to the people's voices, while "Bareunnuri" is a pure Korean word combining "bareuda" (to be right) and "nuri" (world), expressing the people's hope for a just world, according to the presidential office.
Additionally, "Itaewon-ro 22" is derived from the road address of the office. The presidential office explained that by using the address shared by all citizens as the office name, it symbolizes genuine communication with the people. This is also analyzed to be inspired by the UK Prime Minister's office, "10 Downing Street."
The final winning name will be selected by combining the results of a public preference survey and the judges' scores at a ratio of 70 to 30. From the 3rd to the 9th of this month, a one-week online vote will be conducted to gauge public preference.
The committee consists of 13 members, including private experts and representatives of the people, to deliberate and select a new name for the Yongsan presidential office. It includes experts from various fields such as history and culture, Korean language, architecture, space, design, and public relations, as well as young talents, community dignitaries, and the longest-serving presidential office staff, representing all walks of life. The chairman, Kwon Young-geol, former president of Kaywon School of Art and Design, currently serves as chairman of the Seoul Design Foundation, principal of Seoul Arts High School, distinguished professor at Dongseo University, and director of the National Design Strategy Institute. He is the nation's leading authority on public and urban design, having authored 43 books including "My National Design Strategy."
Chairman Kwon said, "It is very meaningful and historic to move the presidential office, which was called 'Gyeongmudae' for 12 years from 1948 and 'Cheongwadae' for over 60 years, and to give a new name to the new space," adding, "I will do my best until the end."
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