Foreign Media Criticize 'Office Relocation' Conflict... "Like Children's Fight, Ruling and Opposition Parties Will Keep Fighting"

"Cheongwadae Became a Political Chess Piece Obstructing Power Transfer"

President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Yoon Seok-youl will have their first meeting over dinner at Sangchunjae in the Blue House on the afternoon of the 27th. It is exactly 19 days since the presidential election was held on the 9th. The photo shows President Moon Jae-in on July 25, 2019, presenting the appointment letter to then-new Prosecutor General and President-elect Yoon Seok-youl, as they head to the conference room. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] As President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol has declared his intention to relocate the presidential office to Yongsan, foreign media have reported that "South Korea is so deeply politically divided that there is no consensus on where the next president should live and work," highlighting the conflict with the Blue House.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 26th (local time), "The next president wants to move the official residence, while the outgoing president is concerned about potential military risks," and analyzed that "the Blue House has become a political chess piece obstructing the transfer of power between the former and incoming presidential administrations."

In this regard, Professor Shin Ki-wook of Stanford University's Department of Sociology said, "It is like children fighting over foolish matters," and added, "I worry that there will be no 'honeymoon period' for the new government. The ruling and opposition parties will continue to fight over each major issue."

The media described the conflict over relocating the Blue House as "showing how even the routine transfer of power becomes a political struggle in South Korea," and noted that "this issue arose after what is called the 'most disliked election ever'."

Cheong Wa Dae. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The media also introduced recent public opinion poll results related to the Blue House relocation issue. WSJ stated, "About three-fifths of South Koreans oppose relocating the Blue House, while only one-third support the relocation plan." It also reported that more than 477,000 South Koreans agreed with a Blue House national petition opposing the office relocation due to wasteful spending of taxpayers' money.

WSJ explained that the Blue House was the royal garden of the Joseon Dynasty for hundreds of years and was used by the Japanese colonial government during the colonial period from 1910 to 1945. It added that following incidents such as the North Korean armed agents' raid on the Blue House, South Korea's early authoritarian leaders imposed strict security and prohibited civilian access to the Blue House.

Professor Kim Dong-no of Yonsei University's Department of Sociology explained, "Many South Koreans still perceive that their leaders hold unchecked power formed during the military dictatorship era," and said, "The Blue House symbolizes that." Professor Kim added, "The national petition system created by President Moon Jae-in at the beginning of his administration requires responses to petitions with over 200,000 signatures. However, some petitions address topics beyond presidential authority, such as impeaching judges," and said, "South Koreans believe the president can do anything in Korea."

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