"Did Not Even See the Yongsan Office Report"... Blue House Relocation Security and Communication Dilemma

Yoon Han-hong, Former Blue House Relocation TF Leader, "Responding to Confirmed Yongsan Report"
Kim Eun-hye, Spokesperson, "No Decision Made, Zero Chance of Entering Blue House"
Foreign Ministry Communicates Well but Has Security Weaknesses
Defense Ministry Lacks Public Accessibility

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The team of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol has begun to slow down the pace of relocating the presidential office. Unable to find an answer amid the dilemma of communication and security, they say further review is necessary. The president-elect's team continues to deliberate over the location of the presidential office and residence, firmly stating that they will not move to Cheongwadae.

President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol is exchanging greetings after holding a meeting with wildfire victims at the Bugoo 3-ri Village Hall in Buk-myeon, Uljin-gun, Gyeongbuk on the 15th. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Yoon Han-hong, a member of the People Power Party and appointed head of the ‘Cheongwadae Relocation Task Force (TF),’ stated on the 16th that "it has not yet been reported" regarding the presidential office relocation. This came as a response to media reports confirming the Yongsan office.

Yoon had previously said the day before, "We are currently reviewing two locations for the presidential office: the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building and the Gwanghwamun Ministry of Foreign Affairs building." The review process is ongoing, and no decision has been made by President-elect Yoon yet.

Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for President-elect Yoon, also said during a briefing at the People Power Party headquarters that "the review process is currently underway" and "no decision has been made yet."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, Spokesperson Kim emphasized, "The possibility of President-elect Yoon moving into the existing Cheongwadae is zero," adding, "When President-elect Yoon declared political reform, his intention to move out of the current Cheongwadae was based on a long-standing commitment to enter among the people and prioritize communication." She explained, "There are many obstacles when forging a new path," and "In deciding to place the presidential office near the people, we have encountered significant challenges such as security and protection."

The difficulty in preparing the presidential office before the start of the term stems from the conflict between two important principles: communication and security.

From the perspective of communication and being among the people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, currently used as a government annex, has advantages. However, compared to the existing Cheongwadae, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building has many vulnerabilities in terms of building protection.

There are many high-rise buildings nearby, leading to concerns that external glass must be replaced with bulletproof glass. Moreover, there is no underground bunker for emergency use, so it has been suggested that the Cheongwadae underground bunker be utilized. This significantly reduces the ability to respond in emergencies.

Using the Ministry of National Defense building mostly resolves security issues.

It is equipped with an underground bunker, has no surrounding high-rise buildings, and includes a helipad. However, the problem is that the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense currently gives an impression of a ‘palatial fortress’ even more so than Cheongwadae.

Because it is a military facility, accessibility for the general public is even lower, and due to transportation issues, commuting between the presidential residence and the office could cause severe traffic congestion. This contradicts the original intention of moving the presidential office out of Cheongwadae to communicate better with the people.

Faced with these issues, the initial expectation that the office location would be decided soon has changed.

Spokesperson Kim said, "When deciding on the office, it is necessary to meticulously check everything to ensure smooth governance without causing inconvenience to the public, even down to the number of traffic lights," adding, "More time is needed. This is not a matter that can be simply decided within a day or two."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.