[The Editors' Verdict] A Warning to the North, Morale for the Military

[Asia Economy Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are core departments in any country, regardless of its system, camp, or level of economic and social development. Deciding the scale and location of their buildings or relocating them is not a simple matter. This is especially true given the reality of South Korea, where North and South are in a standoff.

The Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs buildings of the four major powers surrounding the Korean Peninsula? the United States, China, and Russia?are overwhelmingly larger than those of other countries. During a visit to Washington DC, the reporter was surprised twice. The modest White House building and the enormous Ministry of Defense building stood in dramatic contrast. Due to the COVID-19 situation, internal tours of the White House were not possible, but even from outside the iron gates, it appeared small.

The White House was originally even more modest in size than it is now. The West Wing of the White House (the office building housing the President’s working quarters, Chief of Staff, secretaries, and meeting rooms), which President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol reportedly referred to, was constructed in 1902, 100 years after the original building was completed.

Compared to the White House, the scale of the U.S. Department of Defense building is overwhelming. The building was constructed so large that even after 70 years, not all offices are in use.

The U.S. Department of Defense building (commonly called the Pentagon) was pushed forward during World War II due to the need for a unified headquarters. Before that, the U.S. Department of Defense had offices in several buildings. After ground preparation, the Pentagon was built in just over six months. Concerns about poor construction due to the short construction period proved unfounded. Although a hijacked passenger plane crashed into the building during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the building was not severely damaged.

China and Russia have prominent Ministry of Foreign Affairs buildings. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs building is also quite large. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs building is tall?an impressive 27 stories. A former diplomat said that entering the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs building was intimidating. This reflects the reason for the large scale of these buildings.

Compared to the national power that has risen to the level of the Group of Seven (G7), the scale of South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs buildings is relatively small. On the other hand, the Blue House, where the presidential office is located, is large enough to evoke the image of an ancient palace. Now, this situation is about to change.

The reporter does not want to criticize President-elect Yoon’s decision to relocate the presidential office to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building. Looking at the examples of the White House and the U.S. Department of Defense, it is appropriate for the presidential office to be next to a park. The White House is adjacent to the National Mall (which is a U.S. national park, not a shopping mall), extending from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol building. If we have Gwanghwamun Square, Washington DC has the National Mall. This vast rectangular lawn, 3 km long and 483 m wide, is usually a tourist spot but has been a place where public opinion converges at major turning points in American politics. The Yongsan Park adjacent to the relocated presidential office should serve a similar role. Delicate preparations are needed from now on.

The National Mall also has its blemishes. The January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol, which shocked the U.S. and the world, began with a rally of Trump supporters at the National Mall.

President-elect Yoon said he would move the presidential office to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building to engage in intense discussions on state affairs with his aides and to be closer to the people. He also promised that there would be no security vacuum due to the relocation of the Ministry of National Defense.

In this process, the president-elect owes a great debt to the military responsible for South Korea’s security. At times like this, it is necessary to boost the military’s morale and show a confident stance that will not yield to North Korea’s pressure. In the grave situation where North Korea has announced it will break its promise to suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, a more definite image of the next president taking responsibility for South Korea’s security can serve as a shield to prevent North Korea’s miscalculations.

Previous presidents-elect have visited military units before their inauguration. They should show a firm security commitment by dining with not only generals but also enlisted soldiers. It is time to expand the president-elect’s political luncheon engagements.

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