The President Becomes a Neighbor... Hannam-dong Residents Feel Both Hope and Concern

On the 7th, President Yoon and his wife moved to the Hannam-dong residence
"Expecting increased security personnel to enhance safety"
"Could not recover from the Itaewon tragedy... inappropriate timing"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 7th, the neighborhood near the new presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, where President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee were set to move, was quiet. Since it is not usually a crowded area, only three to four office workers were walking around. There were no customers in cafes or convenience stores, so the shop owners and part-time workers were either looking out the window or watching videos on their phones. However, as one got closer to the new presidential residence, the number of people began to increase. These were police officers in plain clothes guarding the new residence. They stood quietly, continuously scanning passersby.

According to the presidential office on the 8th, President Yoon and his wife completed the move-in procedures for the Hannam-dong residence. The president’s commute changed from his previous residence in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, to the Hannam-dong residence six months after his inauguration. The commute time, which used to take about 10 minutes, is now reported to have been reduced to 5 minutes.

After his inauguration, President Yoon relocated the presidential office from the former Blue House to the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan. Along with this, remodeling work was carried out on the former Foreign Minister’s official residence, which is close to the presidential office, to serve as the new presidential residence. Although the construction was completed in July, the move-in was delayed due to additional security and protection facility enhancements.

Local residents were generally calm about having the president as their new neighbor. Since preparations for the move had been underway for four months, they were not surprised by the completion of the relocation. However, opinions were divided regarding the decision to move the presidential residence. Some welcomed it, saying the president has every right to change his residence, while others dismissed it as unnecessary budget waste.

Mr. Lee (45) said, "I think the increase in security personnel will actually make this area safer," adding, "There might be disturbances from sudden protests, but the people here don’t pay much attention to that." Rather than criticizing the move, some expressed the view that it should be observed for the sake of national stability. Mr. Kim (72), who has guarded the residential area in Hannam-dong for 30 years, said, "Residents are not greatly unsettled by the president becoming a neighbor," and added, "Public reactions to the opening of the Blue House have been positive, so I intend to view the related residence move favorably as well."

There were also voices criticizing the move. Concerns were raised about what might happen in the Hannam-dong area in the future. Ms. Choi Misun (59) said, "There are elementary schools nearby, so I worry that children might be exposed to political activities such as rallies and protests," and added, "Since we have never experienced having the president as a neighbor, we cannot even predict what might happen going forward."

Criticism was also made regarding the timing. Mr. Lee (76) said, "The Itaewon tragedy site is only a 20-minute walk from the presidential residence," and criticized, "It looks like the move was completed right after the memorial period ended. Many people have not yet recovered, so it seems inappropriate as it does not take that into consideration."

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