'Strolling the Garden and Bonding Over Meals'... Yoon Initiates 'Residence Politics'

After Moving into Hannam-dong Residence, Following Bin Salman, Ruling Party Leadership Also Invited
Establishing as a 'Mini Guesthouse'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol, who moved into the Hannam-dong residence, is actively inviting guests and upgrading his 'dining politics' to 'residence politics.' While he improved his thin network through meals, it is interpreted that he intends to build deeper relationships by using the residence with minimal external exposure.

According to the presidential office on the 26th, President Yoon completed moving into the Hannam-dong residence on the 7th, three days before his six-month inauguration anniversary, and has officially invited guests twice so far, including the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and leaders of the ruling party.

President Yoon invited Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, ten days after moving into the residence and spent two and a half hours together. Both sides spent about 40 minutes in the residence reception hall and about 40 minutes in the living room and garden. Notably, during the private meeting, walking in the garden was proposed spontaneously by President Yoon to Crown Prince bin Salman and was realized. They had a conversation while strolling through the residence garden, which President Yoon often walks.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The residence is said to have been remodeled enough to host meals for external dignitaries. A separate space that can accommodate about 30 people was prepared. There, President Yoon prepared a royal seafood sinseollo and dishes emphasizing cooperation and harmony for Crown Prince bin Salman’s luncheon. Other dishes were mainly seafood and vegetables, considering Islamic dietary culture.

At that time, Crown Prince bin Salman, who signed 26 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) worth at least $29 billion (39 trillion won) with Korea, reportedly expressed sincere gratitude to First Lady Kim Keon-hee for the hospitality. He also expressed deep thanks, saying, "It was an honor to be invited to the place where the President and First Lady live."

The ruling party, People Power Party, leadership was the second group invited. President Yoon invited the leadership including Chung Jin-seok, Chairman of the Emergency Committee of the People Power Party, committee members, Joo Ho-young, floor leader, Sung Il-jong, policy committee chairman, Kim Seok-ki, secretary general, Yang Geum-hee, chief spokesperson, and floor spokespersons Kim Mi-ae and Jang Dong-hyuk to the Hannam-dong residence for dinner.

Since cooperation from the National Assembly is essential to support exports, the meeting with the ruling party leadership was necessary, and it seems to include the intention to introduce the President’s new residence.

The President’s residence serves not only as a place to live but is likely to be used as a 'small-scale guesthouse' to enhance intimacy with key external figures. Earlier, President Yoon said about inviting Crown Prince bin Salman to the residence, "It is meaningful in that it shows the President’s personal space."

The lack of a space like a guesthouse due to the presidential office’s move to the Yongsan building is also cited as a reason for increased use of the residence. A senior official of the presidential office said, "The reception space in the Yongsan building has a low ceiling, making it insufficient to give the feeling of a guesthouse," adding, "Although the residence is also the President’s private space and has some burdens, it will be a place to build friendships with key figures."

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