Yoon confirms plan to move presidential office to Yongsan in May

Mar 21, 2022, 07:59 am

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President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol holds a press conference on the relocation of Cheong Wa Dae at his transition team’s headquarters in Seoul on March 20, 2022./ Source: Joint Press Corps

AsiaToday reporter Lee Wook-jae

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday announced a plan to move the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to the building now used by the Defense Ministry in Yongsan.

His initiative is aimed at returning the presidential office to the public and becoming a president who communicates with the people by setting up a presidential office near Yongsan Park. The defense ministry will move its operation to the Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters, which will be moving to the Capital Defense Command in Gwanak-gu, southern Seoul, he said.

“Considering the aspect of wholly opening and returning Cheong Wa Dae to the people, I determined it was right to swiftly make a decision on relocating to the defense ministry compound in Yongsan and moving forward with it,” Yoon said in a press conference held at his transition team’s headquarters in Seoul on Sunday.

The president-elect explained the reason of choosing the Yongsan building now used by the Defense Ministry. “The Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan-gu is equipped with national security command facilities, which allows us to fully return the Cheong Wa Dae to the people and cause almost no inconvenience to them when running security services,” Yoon said.

“The Yongsan area has already undergone development on the basis of protecting military facilities, so there will be no additional regulations imposed even if the presidential office is relocated,” he said.

“Starting this year, the land of the surrounding U.S. military base is expected to be returned in stages, which will allow us to swiftly construct Yongsan Park, use the defense ministry building as an office and commune and communicate with the people,” he said.

A press center to further facilitate communication will be set up on the first floor of the building used by the president’s office, he said. He will start his term at the new presidential office in Yongsan-gu immediately after his inauguration on May 10.

In response to Yoon’s plan, the liberal Democratic Party (DP) denounced Yoon for being hasty and impellent.

“Is it reasonable to forcibly carry out the relocation of Cheong Wa Dae and the Defense Ministry, which will determine national security and property rights of citizens, without reaching any consensus with the people?” questioned Yoon Ho-joong, chairman of the Democratic Party’s emergency committee, in a press conference. “Recently, military tensions are rising due to North Korea’s recent provocations. If key facilities, which are expected to take two to three years for relocation, are disposed overnight, who will be responsible for national defense?” he warned. “The hasty relocation plan should be immediately withdrawn. If they refuse it, the Democratic Party will desperately fight to protect security and property rights of citizens.”

The Justice Party also criticized Yoon’s decision, saying it is a “hasty announcement without sufficient consultation and countermeasures over security and budget concerns.”

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