Cheong Wa Dae puts brakes on Yoon’s plan to relocate presidential office

Mar 22, 2022, 08:08 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

Cheong Wa Dae put the brakes on Monday on president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s plan to relocate the presidential office, saying it is “unreasonable.” Some political observers point out that Cheong Wa Dae’s opposition is aimed at undermining the Yoon Suk-yeol administration by downgrading his pledges.

“President Moon Jae-in pledged to open the era of Gwanghwamun era in the past presidential election, and we do agree on the idea of returning Cheong Wa Dae to the public,” Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication for Moon, said after the government’s National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Monday. “However, it is unreasonable to relocate the Defense Ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the presidential office, the aide’s office in such a short period of time,” Park said.

“As the security crisis on the Korean Peninsula is escalating, now is the time to unite security capabilities. Therefore, it is necessary to look sufficiently into concern that sudden, unprepared relocations of the defense ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Cheong Wa Dae crisis management center could cause a security vacuum and confusion,” he said. “It is also necessary to review adjusting the air defense system that is currently set up around Cheong Wa Dae.”

“Unless there is urgent situation to be pushed out of time, it would be logical to push for relocation when all of the defense ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the presidential office are better prepared,” Park said. “The government will convey such concern to the President-elect and the transition committee, and make a final decision after sufficient consultations,” he added.

During a radio interview on Monday, Park said Cheong Wa Dae remains unchanged in the “principle of respecting the President-elect’s pledges and his direction of state administration” but added “there has been no consultation between the President-elect’s side and the current administration so far.”

In any case, relations between outgoing and incoming administrations are expected to be further strained as Cheong Wa Dae put the brakes on Yoon’s relocation plan. Besides, it is unclear whether Yoon and Moon would be able to meet in the future. As a result, a stable transfer of government seems difficult.

Meanwhile, it would be controversial that Cheong Wa Dae announced its position borrowing the results of the NSC meeting. It is pointed out that Cheong Wa Dae was hasty to announce its position a day after the President-elect made public his plan to relocate the presidential office saying they have been discussing it “in depth.” It is questionable whether Cheong Wa Dae and the NSC have fully reviewed Yoon’s plan before making such a position.

Besides, Cheong Wa Dae is expected to be under fire as it seemingly supported the Democratic Party and tried to undermine the Yoon administration, in a situation where concrete public opinion has not been formed on the relocation of the presidential office.

“What is the intention of Cheong Wa Dae to put brakes on the plan? We have thoroughly reviewed the security gap issue. We hope that the Moon government cooperate with the new government,” said People Power Party’s senior spokesperson Heo Eun-ah.

#Cheong Wa Dae #Yoon Suk-yeol #relocation #presidential office #president-elect