Prime Minister Kim: "No Small Gaps Allowed in Security Posture During President's Office Relocation"

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is speaking at the temporary Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 6th. At this temporary Cabinet meeting, the supplementary budget related to the relocation of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential office was reviewed and approved. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum stated on the 6th regarding the relocation of the presidential office, "Under no circumstances should there be even the slightest gap in security posture."

On the same day, Prime Minister Kim held the 16th extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office and said, "(Security) is a fundamental duty of any government, and not only the next government but also our government must fulfill this responsibility until the very end."

Prime Minister Kim assessed, "During the government transition period, security could become vulnerable, especially given the recent unusual military movements by North Korea, and this is a time when the South Korea-U.S. military exercises must be successfully conducted."

He continued, "In this serious security situation where the crisis on the Korean Peninsula could escalate, the relocation of the presidential office should be carried out under a meticulous and thorough plan without any security gaps."

Prime Minister Kim explained, "The issue of relocating the presidential office is a matter for the next government to decide regardless of support or opposition. Since the president-elect's will is clear, ultimately it is a matter of timing, and the relocation of the presidential office is an inevitable situation."

He added, "The current relocation of the presidential office being pursued by the transition committee is directly related to the core security control towers such as the Blue House, Ministry of National Defense, and Joint Chiefs of Staff, so it is a matter that must be carefully examined and promoted. The government has proposed a supplementary budget through coordination and consultation with the transition committee, and this is also in the spirit of cooperating for a smooth government handover without any security gaps."

On the same day, the government approved a supplementary budget expenditure plan of 36 billion KRW for the relocation of the presidential office to Yongsan. The expenditure plan includes 17.6 billion KRW under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 11.8 billion KRW under the Ministry of National Defense, and 6.6 billion KRW under the Presidential Security Service.

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