Road in front of Blue House is pedestrianized

The street in front of the Blue House is being pedestrianized for a trial period following the throwing open of the former presidential office and residence.

Visitors at the Blue House watch a performance celebrating the public opening of the former presidential office of Korea on Sunday afternoon. [YONHAP]

The street in front of the Blue House is being pedestrianized for a trial period following the throwing open of the former presidential office and residence.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, after the Blue House was open to the public last Tuesday as President Yoon Suk-yeol began his five-year term, around 40,000 visitors visited the following day — 25 times the visitors allowed before.

Promoted by the Blue House opening task force, Cheongwadae-ro, the name of the street in front of the Blue House, has been running car-free from last Tuesday, which was scheduled to end on May 22.

According to the city of Seoul's plan, Cheongwadae-ro will go car-free on weekends and holidays from May 28 to June 26. The zone will be about 500 meter-long in front of the Blue House from Yeongbingwan (the State Guest House) to Chunchugwan (a building where press conferences were held).

Vehicles will be limited from noon to 6 p.m. from the Brazilian Embassy to the upper section of Chunchugwan.

A new green circulating bus route, 01, will run only until the Hyoja-dong Fountain Bus Stop and then make a detour in the direction of Gyeongbokgung Palace during those times. The 01 route combines two previous routes, 02 and 04, and stops near the Blue House.

Along with Cheongwadae-ro, Seoul's Inwangsan-ro near Mount Inwang is also going car-free this month after demands from residents of the neighborhood for a trial period.

The car-free section is about 1.5 kilometers-long from the tiger sculpture on Mount Inwang to the Hill of Yun Dong-Ju the poet and it will be closed off from 8 a.m. until noon on May 22 and May 29.

“As the Blue House has been returned to the public, we will give various support so that more people can make a visit to the historical site conveniently and safely,” said Baek Ho, head of the department of city traffic at the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]