Presidential Office: "The Public Will Agree on the Need for a State Guesthouse Suitable for the Yongsan Era"

A Request to the National Assembly: "Consider Presidential Office Facilities with a Long-Term Perspective Benefiting National Prestige and Interests"

On the 16th, one day before President Yoon Suk-yeol's 100th day in office, the Presidential Office building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul is shown. President Yoon, emphasizing the elimination of authoritarianism, moved the seat of government from the former Blue House to Yongsan. With the president's office relocated to Yongsan, the Blue House has been fully opened to the public. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 16th, the Presidential Office stated regarding the allocation of a budget of approximately 87.8 billion won for the construction of an annex facility equivalent to the Blue House State Guesthouse, "Many citizens will sympathize with the necessity of a state guesthouse befitting the Yongsan era." It also urged the National Assembly, "I hope you will take a long-term view and consider the annex facilities of the Presidential Office that can contribute to the national dignity and national interest of the Republic of Korea."

A Presidential Office official said at a briefing at the Yongsan office building in the afternoon regarding the new state guesthouse construction, "There is an unavoidable aspect in that a space is needed to enhance national interests and to receive domestic and foreign guests befitting the national dignity."

The official pointed out that after the presidential office moved to Yongsan, hosting domestic and foreign guest events at external locations such as the Defense Convention Center, the War Memorial, the National Museum of Korea, and hotels inevitably involved additional security costs and citizen inconvenience.

Regarding the previous willingness to utilize the Blue House state guesthouse, the position was reversed, stating, "There arises a contradiction in that the Blue House, which is fully open to citizens, must be partially controlled (during events)."

In particular, the official emphasized, "If a new state guesthouse is built, this will not be the Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s state guesthouse," adding, "It will be the state guesthouse of the Republic of Korea government for a long time. I hope the National Assembly also takes a long-term view and considers the annex facilities of the Presidential Office that can contribute to national dignity and national interest."

In response to reporters’ criticism that "During the Presidential Transition Committee period, the cost of moving the Presidential Office was estimated and announced to be around 40 billion won, but additional costs have occurred. Was the estimate underestimated?" the official explained, "The cost announced at that time was the direct cost of moving the Presidential Office. The state guesthouse is not a cost used for expanding or moving the Presidential Office, so it is not a direct moving cost."

He added, "There are not only costs related to the move. There are also considerable economic benefits gained by opening the Blue House to the public," and said, "If additional costs for annex facilities are needed, we will transparently disclose them before you."

Regarding the location of the new annex facility, he said, "We are not proceeding with any specific area in mind," and added, "Once the budget is requested, we will sufficiently explain and consult with the National Assembly and proceed after securing public consent."

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