Busy Ministry of National Defense Building Preparing for Relocation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] These days, the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, is bustling with large vehicles lining up. Construction vehicles for preparing the office for President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's workroom are frequently coming and going. The Ministry of National Defense plans to complete the move ten days earlier than originally scheduled, by the 5th. Since the relocation will be completed before President-elect Yoon's inauguration, it is unlikely that there will be a 'cohabitation' between President-elect Yoon and the Ministry of National Defense.

On the morning of the 3rd, large vehicles were lined up on the road toward the Ministry of National Defense's west gate. These vehicles, for recycling collection and shredding of security documents, were waiting for entry approval to the building. The Ministry of National Defense main office and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) building were bustling with moving trucks and workers transferring office equipment from various departments. Protective plastic sheets were laid in the hallways, and documents were frequently transported via elevators. Military police controlled and separated the passageways for Ministry employees arriving at work.

The minister's office was set up on the 3rd floor of the JCS building, where the JCS chairman's office was located. Minister of National Defense Seo Wook also started working there on the 2nd.

The presidential workroom will be established on the 2nd and 5th floors of the Ministry of National Defense main building. This allows adjustment of the office location to avoid external targets. On that day, workers wearing safety vests and visitor badges were conducting remodeling and surrounding maintenance, while presidential security personnel inspected every corner of the building. The South Korea-U.S. summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, who will visit on the 20th, is likely to be held on the 21st in the 5th-floor conference room. Final construction work is also underway on the 1st to 4th floors of the Ministry main building, where the secretariat, spokesperson's office, security office, and press room will be located.

Road paving work is also underway around the new presidential workroom building. This appears to be for connecting to the 'Gate 13' of the Yongsan U.S. military base, which President-elect Yoon will use for commuting after inauguration. Once construction is completed, a boundary fence will be installed between the Ministry of National Defense main building and the JCS building, where the presidential workroom will be located.

The JCS will continue to use the same building as the Ministry of National Defense for the time being, then relocate to the Capital Defense Command building in Namtaeryeong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul.

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