President Yoon Suk-yeol Assumes Executive Authority... Begins Term as 20th President

At Bosingak, the 33rd Bell-Ringing Ceremony... After Paying Respects at the National Cemetery, Moving to the National Assembly

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Seok-yeol officially began his term at midnight on the 10th by receiving a readiness report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the National Crisis Management Center in the basement of the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan. Having won the 20th presidential election on March 9, President Yoon officially assumed the legal authority and role of the head of state, including military command, on this day.

Previous presidents received a phone report from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at midnight on their inauguration day to transfer military command. Former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in received the report at their homes, but President Yoon visited the situation room to exercise his command authority as the military commander and to dispel security concerns related to the presidential office’s relocation to Yongsan.

◆ Bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak, inauguration ceremony with the people = At the same time, a bell-ringing event to mark the start of President Yoon’s term is held at Bosingak in Jongno, Seoul. Although President Yoon does not attend, 20 representatives of the people representing various regions, genders, and social classes of the Republic of Korea ring the bell to announce the new president’s start.

The bell will be rung 33 times. According to the Presidential Inauguration Preparation Committee, this tradition is inspired by the Joseon Dynasty practice of ringing the bell 33 times to open the eight gates of the capital and announce the start of passage.

On the morning of the 10th, President Yoon will first pay respects at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery and then move to the National Assembly where the inauguration ceremony will be held. Upon entering the National Assembly grounds at 11 a.m., President Yoon will get out of the car and walk about 200 meters to the stage in front of the main building, greeting the citizens attending the ceremony. A preparation committee official said, "It symbolizes a president who communicates with the people."

Upon reaching the podium, two children from Daegu and Gwangju will present bouquets to President Yoon as a symbol of East-West harmony. On the stage, President Yoon and his spouse Kim Geon-hee will join hands with 20 representatives of the people's hopes and ascend together.

On the 9th, one day before the presidential inauguration, a phoenix decoration symbolizing the president was hung at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul, which will be used as the presidential office. President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol is scheduled to begin work on the 10th at the office relocated to the Yongsan Ministry of National Defense building. Photo by the Transition Team Press Corps

◆ Personally revised inaugural address... Emphasis on freedom and fairness = The inaugural address will last about 20 minutes. Its core message is to build a country where the people are the owners through a Korea that takes a leap forward based on freedom, human rights, fairness, and solidarity.

The draft of the inaugural address was overseen by Lee Gak-beom, an emeritus professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) who served as the Blue House policy chief under the Kim Young-sam administration, and Lee Jae-ho, former editorial director of Dong-A Ilbo, who served as chairman and vice chairman of the inaugural address preparation committee, respectively. President Yoon personally participated in revisions until just before the ceremony.

Park Joo-sun, chairman of the Presidential Inauguration Preparation Committee, stated, "Within the theme of a new nation of the people, the address will include content about creating a country where the people are the true owners based on freedom, fairness, and solidarity; a warm and caring country for the vulnerable; and a country where the dreams of children and youth are realized. It will also reflect the spirit of the times to become a respected nation responsible in the international community."

In particular, the address is expected to include the importance of balanced regional development and national unity, which President-elect Yoon emphasized. It may also include specific economic measures considering both domestic and international circumstances, including responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The address will be preserved in book form on traditional Korean paper (hanji) as part of cultural heritage preservation.

After the one-hour inauguration ceremony, President Yoon will walk back to the National Assembly entrance and then move to his office in Yongsan to begin official duties. At the office, he will meet with foreign delegations congratulating the inauguration, then return to the National Assembly at 4 p.m. to attend a celebratory event in the Rotunda Hall. The official first-day schedule will conclude with a dinner hosted for foreign guests at the Shilla Hotel’s State Guest House.

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