'Yongsan Children's Garden' to open Thursday

The Yongsan Children's Garden in central Seoul is set to open to the public Thursday, ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol's one year in office next week, announced the presidential office Tuesday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaks to the press corps at a luncheon marking the opening of the Yongsan Children's Garden later this week in a lawn in front of the presidential office in central Seoul on Tuesday afternoon. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The Yongsan Children's Garden in central Seoul is set to open to the public Thursday, ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol's one year in office next week, announced the presidential office Tuesday.

The garden is a part of the 900,000-pyeong (735 acres) plot of land adjacent to the Yongsan presidential office in the process of being returned from U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) after its headquarters moved to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi.

The land where the Yongsan Garrison was situated has a long history of occupation, first by Japanese troops in 1904 and later used as a U.S. military base after Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule.

This previously restricted area will be opened to the public for the first time in about 120 years.

Around 300,000 square meters of land, or a tenth of the total area, was designated the Yongsan Children's Garden, according to the presidential office, and will be available for the public to enjoy starting Thursday.

When fully returned by the United States, the land of the former U.S. military base will eventually be remodeled into a grander park reminiscent of New York's Central Park.

Reporters view the presidential office Tuesday from an observation hill at the Yongsan Children's Garden, built on land returned from the U.S. Forces Korea, set to open to the public starting Thursday. [NEWS1]

"This is part of a year-long preparation to expand communication with the public along with the relocation of the presidential office to Yongsan, and to return the Yongsan Garrison to the public as soon as possible," said the presidential office in a statement.

It was named Yongsan Children's Garden to signify "a space to be enjoyed by children, our future leaders, together with their families."

A portion of the former U.S. military base facilities, including former residences of U.S. military officers, has been retained to preserve the history of the land. It has a library for adults and children, an exhibition hall, a café, a spacious lawn, sports fields and an observation hill which puts the presidential office in full view.

The lawn area previously contained baseball fields for the military base.

A presidential official said that the government carefully conducted monitoring of the environment taking into consideration it was a former military base to confirm its safety.

Along with the launch of his administration on May 10, 2022, Yoon moved the presidential office from the relatively isolated Blue House in northern Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, to the Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan. This was in keeping with his campaign pledge to make the presidential office more accessible to the public and press.

"I thought there are not many places for children to play in our country, so we named this place a children's garden, where kids and their parents and guardians can come play freely on the lawns," said Yoon said at a surprise appearance at a luncheon to mark the opening of the children's garden attended by members of the press corps and presidential staff.

"As I received criticism and encouragement, before I knew it, a year has already passed," Yoon told around 150 reporters at a lawn in front of the presidential office. "Next year, I plan to speed up changes that have been slow to move along and correct the areas that need to be corrected."

He said with the change in administration, he plans to "look back" at how much the country and society has changed; how many more dreams can be given to future generations; how much more just and fair society has become; and how much security and social safety have been secured.

Yoon said regarding the Yongsan garden, "I will continue to let children play here throughout my tenure, and if there is something lacking, I will change it."

The Yongsan Children's Garden is set to open to the public Thursday. [YONHAP]

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]