Following North Korean Drones, US Eavesdropping... "Security Gap Due to Presidential Office Relocation"

Democratic Party "Yongsan Sky and Walls All Breached"
Presidential Office "Many Documents Forged... Office Under Ironclad Security"

The opposition party perceives the growing concerns over security gaps?from the North Korean drone controversy to the U.S. eavesdropping issue?as a consequence of the presidential office relocation. They argue that the situation they had warned about since the official announcement of the office move in March last year has now materialized.

On the 11th, Park Hong-geun, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at a floor strategy meeting, "There is not a single intact sky or wall in Yongsan, so claiming it is perfect is laughable."

Park added, "When criticized that the presidential office became vulnerable to wiretapping and eavesdropping due to the move to Yongsan, the presidential office claimed, 'Wiretapping and eavesdropping are more difficult,' 'It is safer than the Blue House,' and 'Security issues were perfectly prepared from the time of the move.' But then why was the airspace around the presidential office penetrated by North Korean drones, and now there are even indications of U.S. Department of Defense eavesdropping?"

Kim Byung-gi, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former National Intelligence Service official, stated on social media, "When I visited the site during the presidential office relocation construction, it was a chaotic market. All kinds of materials were scattered around, and unverified personnel were freely coming and going," adding, "It was only a matter of time before something happened."

Kim continued, "Was it only the U.S. that eavesdropped? The truly serious problem is that we have no idea which countries and what information have been compromised," and said, "There is no solution other than relocating the adjacent U.S. military base, demolishing all the buildings, and rebuilding them."

Kim had previously warned of eavesdropping concerns by revealing photos of his visit to the Ministry of Defense presidential office construction site during the confirmation hearing of Defense Minister nominee Lee Jong-seop in May last year.

The photo shows the area around the Yongsan Presidential Office as seen from Namsan on January 5th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the presidential office dismissed the wiretapping and eavesdropping allegations as "absurd false accusations," stating, "Regarding the 'U.S. government's wiretapping allegations,' the defense ministers of both countries agreed that a significant portion of the documents were forged."

In a press release issued by the spokesperson's office that morning, the presidential office emphasized, "The Yongsan presidential office is a military facility that has established and operates a wiretapping and eavesdropping prevention system far more advanced than the former Blue House," adding, "Unlike the Blue House era, where the presidential office, secretariat, and security office were scattered, the current integrated security system and dedicated personnel maintain 'ironclad security.'"

The presidential office directly criticized the Democratic Party for blaming the relocation for wiretapping, saying, "They are hastily inciting the public by raising false negative suspicions," and called it "a self-harming act and a national interest infringement that shakes the Korea-U.S. alliance amid North Korea's relentless provocations and nuclear threats."

Concerns about security gaps due to the presidential office relocation had also surfaced during the North Korean drone intrusion controversy. When it was belatedly revealed on December 26 last year that a North Korean drone had entered the no-fly zone around the Yongsan presidential office, located in the city center, criticisms arose that the Yongsan presidential office was inherently vulnerable to security threats.

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-joo pointed out that the presidential office's urban location prevented the establishment of a perfect air defense base. On MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" in January, Kim said, "Since the presidential office relocation, I repeatedly raised concerns that reducing the no-fly zone from the previous 8 km to 3.7 km and issues with building an air defense base would create security gaps," adding, "Those concerns have now become reality."

Kim further noted that the current air defense base's location might not be suitable to cover the entire no-fly zone. He explained, "An air defense base should be on the highest ground, but Yongsan is obscured by a forest of buildings, so the base has to be built in civilian apartments or corporate buildings," speculating, "Therefore, some parts likely could not be elevated and were placed inside military facilities."