President Yoon's 'Phone Directive' Sparks Renewed Controversy Over 'Yongsan Office'... "A Concerned Issue" (Comprehensive)

Yoon Geon-yeong: "The fundamental cause of this incident is the reckless relocation of the Yongsan office"
Tak Hyun-min: "Concerns arose from the moment the Blue House was abandoned... likely to be an issue throughout the term"
Plan to submit a national audit request regarding the hasty presidential office relocation and preferential construction contract awards related to the office renovation

[Asia Economy Reporters Oh Ju-yeon and Park Jun-i] The Democratic Party of Korea is fiercely criticizing the government's inadequate disaster crisis response, and the controversy seems to be expanding to the issue of the 'Yongsan Office Relocation.' They pointed out the office relocation issue again, saying that concerns had been raised since President Yoon Seok-yeol's 'home phone instructions' and the move from the Blue House to Yongsan Office.

On the morning of the 10th, all members attending the Democratic Party Emergency Committee meeting appeared wearing the 'yellow jumper' worn during national disasters. This is interpreted as emphasizing a contrast to the government's and ruling party's immature crisis response.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At this meeting, Floor Leader Park Hong-geun referred to the presidential office's explanation that "wherever the president is, that is the situation room," and sharply criticized, saying, "Is Acrovista in Seocho-dong the crisis management center?" calling it "nonsense." In particular, he likened the president to a 'stealth aircraft' undetectable by radar and strongly criticized the response of giving instructions by phone from home without visiting the heavy rain site.

Floor Leader Park said, "While the people were in danger throughout the night, the control tower, the National Crisis Management Center, did not operate in time," and added, "(Without showing himself) to respond to the crisis by phone, is the president a stealth aircraft or what?"

The opposition party has brought up the Yongsan Office relocation issue again in light of this incident. They pointed out that the fundamental problem behind the immature response, where the president stayed at home and gave instructions by phone during a national disaster crisis, is the separation of the president's office and residence.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Yoon Geon-young, a key pro-Moon lawmaker, appeared on TBS Radio and said, "The fundamental cause of this incident is the forced relocation to the Yongsan Office."

He pointed out, "From the Blue House's perspective, the president's office, residence, and crisis management center are within one minute by car. Ignoring that completely and forcibly relocating to Yongsan caused this situation."

Former Blue House Protocol Secretary Tak Hyun-min also said on YTN Radio that "this was a concern from the moment they said they would not use the Blue House," and added, "I think they will suffer from various problems throughout the term."

Regarding the explanation that "we followed the manual," he emphasized, "The reason the president must quickly preside over a response meeting in a crisis is to 'organize the situation,'" and said, "It doesn't work just by following the manual; the president must gather everyone at once in one place and organize things clearly."

The Democratic Party pressured the government by raising suspicions of preferential treatment in the construction of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, along with the Yongsan Office relocation issue. They expressed their intention to submit a request for a state audit regarding the contract awarded without bidding to a company related to First Lady Kim Geon-hee.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Originally, they planned to submit the state audit request on this day, but postponed the timing considering the current disaster situation.

After the Emergency Committee meeting, Floor Spokesperson Shin Hyun-young told reporters, "We plan to proceed with a state audit request regarding the rushed relocation of the presidential office and preferential treatment in the office construction contract," and added, "Since it is a national disaster situation due to heavy rain, we will proceed at an appropriate time when the National Assembly can raise its voice for a state audit. We do not plan to proceed today."

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