Why Is the Bunker Pointed Out by President-Elect Yoon Controversial?

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is holding a press conference on the relocation of the Blue House presidential office to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building at the press conference room of the Presidential Transition Committee, located in the annex of the Korea Institute of Finance in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 20th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Military Specialist Yang Nak-gyu] The controversy over President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol mentioning the location of the Ministry of National Defense bunker in relation to the presidential office relocation also sparked debate during the National Assembly's National Defense Committee briefing.

At a press conference announcing the move to Yongsan on the 20th, President-elect Yoon pointed with a pointer to various spots in front of the Ministry of National Defense building on a bird's-eye view and explained, "There is an underground bunker here, and in an emergency, there is a passageway underneath, so in an emergency, the National Security Council (NSC) can be held here."

On the other hand, Minister of National Defense Suh Wook responded during the briefing when Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Min-gi asked, "Is there an underground bunker inside the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense?" by saying, "We think it would be better if this is not discussed," then added, "Well, yes, there is." Minister Suh, looking somewhat embarrassed, requested when lawmaker Kim further asked, "Is there an underground passage?" saying, "Sir, I would appreciate it if you could keep such matters confidential or discuss them individually."

Lawmaker Kim's inquiry is interpreted as a pointed remark toward President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol, who indicated the bunker location during the announcement of the Yongsan relocation plan on the 20th. In fact, Kim praised Minister Suh's awkward responses to the repeated questions as "very appropriate answers," adding, "The minister cannot disclose this due to laws, security, and national defense reasons."

Under the Integrated Defense Act, the Ministry of National Defense's underground bunker is classified as a 'Grade A' national critical facility. The internal building layout of the Ministry of National Defense, a national critical facility, is also not displayed on portal map services. Some parts of these facilities have been disclosed externally before. However, the issue arises because President-elect Yoon pointed out the location with his finger. Identifying the finger's position could reveal exact coordinates that could become targets for cruise missiles.

There are about six underground bunkers in South Korea used as national command centers in emergencies by South Korea and the United States. Most of these locations became known externally when visited by U.S. Secretaries of State or Presidents.

The most well-known is the Combined Forces Command (CFC) command and control center 'CP Tango,' established in the 1970s. This site was shrouded in secrecy, but was revealed in March 2005 when then U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Korea.

The U.S.-South Korea Combined Forces underground bunker 'CC (Command Center) Seoul,' located within the U.S. military base in Yongsan, Seoul, is commonly called the 'Eighth Army bunker.' It was first publicly acknowledged in 2002 as a facility used by the U.S.-South Korea command during peacetime.

The representative command facility of the South Korean military is the Blue House underground bunker, known as the 'National Crisis Situation Center.' There is also the 'B1 bunker,' an underground bunker within the Capital Defense Command. This site has been exposed externally as presidents, the commanders-in-chief, have visited the B1 bunker without fail during their first year in office. However, unlike former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, who visited only once in their first year, former President Lee Myung-bak visited several times during his term.

There is also the 'B2 bunker' located underground at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul. The Joint Chiefs of Staff introduced this building to the public when it was constructed in August 2012. The B2 bunker is equipped with the Combined Forces Command Theater Command and Control System (CENTRIXS-K) and video command systems that allow sharing of military intelligence and battlefield situations with the U.S. Pacific Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command.

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