"Getting Ready to Go to Sejong"... Chilly Year-End at Yongridan-gil [Yongsan Report]

Worries About Protests Halt Visits... Reservations Also Canceled

"Isn't it possible that the Presidential Office might move to Sejong City? It seems unlikely that the next president would come to a place tainted by the dark history of martial law..."

The owner of a restaurant, who has been running a business in Yongsan for decades and is known as the original popular eatery near Samgakji Station, sighed and continued. Seeing a reporter wearing a Presidential Office pass around his neck, he said, "It seems inevitable that the Presidential Office will relocate," and asked rhetorically, "Won't it move to Sejong?" Although President Yoon's impeachment motion has not yet been finally accepted by the Constitutional Court, he explained that he is running his business with the possibility of the Presidential Office moving in mind. The restaurant owner trailed off, saying, "My family home is in Sejong, but..."

The owner of a beef restaurant near the Presidential Office also waved his hand when asked by a reporter about business these days. "Oh, I think I've given up on year-end sales. Sales have plummeted since the martial law incident," he worried. This restaurant, famous as a dining spot for Presidential Office staff and external guests, saw government officials stop coming altogether after President Yoon's duties were suspended. "All existing reservations have been canceled," he said, adding, "Even the occasional customers now only order simple meals instead of meat."

Another merchant running a restaurant near Sinyongsan Station shared the changed atmosphere. He said, "Samgakji and the area near Sinyongsan Station, known as 'Yongridan-gil,' used to be a hot place bustling with people in their 20s and 30s, but recently the crowd has noticeably decreased," and lamented, "Young people, assuming the protest noise near the Presidential Office would be loud, have been canceling their year-end reservations." This merchant added, "But isn't it actually quiet around the Presidential Office?" and showed a distressed expression, saying, "It's bewildering that the year-end boom has disappeared." Nearby cafes have been offering 10-20% discounts to office workers near Samgakji Station, but it is said that hardly any customers are taking advantage of these discounts these days.

The scene at Yongridan-gil, where foot traffic has clearly decreased since President Yoon's duties were suspended, is also bleak. The owner of a shop who was preparing to open a cafe before the emergency martial law incident and is now busy with interior work said, "Who would have expected the martial law incident?" and confessed, "I'm worried that the Yongsan commercial district might completely die out."

On the 12th, when President Yoon Suk-yeol announced a national address, the area in front of the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was quiet with vehicles and people passing by, and support wreaths lined up along the entrance road. Photo by Heo Young-han