Lee's Blue House move to take place between Dec. 8 and 14

Korea’s presidential office will move back to the Blue House from its current Yongsan base in central Seoul between Dec. 8 and 14, officials exclusively told the JoongAng Ilbo, ending former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s three-year relocation experiment.

Autumn foliage reaches its peak around the Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, as seen from the Foreign Ministry building on Nov. 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Korea’s presidential office will move back to the Blue House from its current Yongsan base in central Seoul between Dec. 8 and 14, officials exclusively told the JoongAng Ilbo, ending former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s three-year relocation experiment and marking a return to the traditional compound under President Lee Jae Myung.

“The office of the management secretary recently informed some senior secretaries that the relocation will take place between Dec. 8 and 14," a presidential office official said Monday.

The office will also hold a briefing this week for staff to explain the relocation process. President Lee created the management secretary office in June to oversee the move. The plan includes relocating the president’s office, aides’ offices and other major facilities back to the Blue House, also known by its Korean name Cheong Wa Dae, in Jongno District, central Seoul.

Renovations at the Blue House, including Yeomingwan — where the president and aides will work — are nearly complete, officials said.

"Yeomingwan is old, but we kept remodeling minimal to save on costs," a senior official said.

In June, the Cabinet approved a 25.9 billion won ($17.8 million) reserve fund for the return to the Blue House, about 11.9 billion won less than the 37.8 billion won spent to move to Yongsan.

Former President Yoon — the only Korean leader who opted not to stay in the Blue House — established his presidential office at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan District, central Seoul, in May 2022. Yoon said putting the presidential office in the heart of the bustling city would improve public access and promote communication between the government and the public.

However, Korean media and observers later blamed the move for enabling Yoon to plot his short-lived martial imposition and execute his plans from the Defense Ministry's underground bunker.

President Lee Jae Myung holds a press conference at the Blue House State Guesthouse in Seoul on the morning of Sept. 11, marking his 100th day in office, in this photo provided by the presidential office. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Preparations by related agencies are also nearing completion. The Presidential Security Service (PSS) has been readying its return since Aug. 1, when public tours of the Blue House were suspended, according to officials. The PSS repaired its aging facilities and upgraded security infrastructure, with most work now finished.

Police have also been preparing. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s 101st and 202nd security units are finalizing repairs and relocation procedures, while the Jongno Police Precinct plans to restore 24-hour operations at stations near the Blue House.

Since President Lee took office, speculation has swirled over when the presidential office would move back. Some Democratic Party figures expected the move within his first 100 days, while others thought it might be delayed until next year due to time-consuming security work, especially the restoration of the National Crisis Management Center, often referred to as the “Cheong Wa Dae bunker.”

However, Lee had stated during his presidential campaign that “it would be better to quickly renovate the Blue House and move in,” which led the office to speed up efforts to finish the relocation by the end of this year.

Visitors enter the Blue House through the Chunchumun Gate in Jongno District, central Seoul, on July 31, a day before public tours officially ended. [NEWS1]

The presidential residence is expected to relocate in the first half of next year. Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, said during a National Assembly hearing last Thursday that “it may not be possible to move the presidential residence by the end of this year due to security reasons.” The final location of the new residence has not yet been decided.

National Museum of Korea Director Yoo Hong-jun told lawmakers on Oct. 22 that the current residence site within the Blue House is “too damp” and “unsuitable as a living space” as cited by architects and for geomantic reasons. He added he suggested the president and first lady use a government-owned facility in Samcheong-dong in central Seoul instead.

Some facilities may move later than Dec. 14. A senior official said “spaces requiring additional security work will take more time.”

The press room for the presidential correspondents is expected to relocate to the Chunchugwan building at the Blue House later in the month.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY YOON SUNG-MIN [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]