{"id":2209237,"date":"2025-04-18T17:46:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T08:46:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2209237"},"modified":"2025-04-18T17:46:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T08:46:04","slug":"south-koreas-presidential-office-faces-relocation-fight-before-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/04\/south-koreas-presidential-office-faces-relocation-fight-before-election\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s presidential office faces relocation fight before election"},"content":{"rendered":"
The question of where South Korea\u2019s presidential office should be located has reemerged as a divisive political issue in the lead-up to the June 3 presidential election, with candidates proposing a range of relocation plans in response to sustained public and institutional backlash against the current Yongsan compound.<\/span><\/p>\n Initially relocated from the Blue House \u2014 South Korea\u2019s traditional seat of power \u2014 to the defense ministry\u2019s compound in Yongsan by former President Yoon Suk-yeol in 2022, the current presidential office has since been plagued by security concerns and associated with Yoon\u2019s <\/span>martial law declaration<\/span><\/a>, which have reignited calls to move the executive branch once again.<\/span><\/p>\n Presidential contenders have since proposed relocating the office back to the Blue House or establishing a new site in Sejong City, 75 miles south of Seoul.<\/span><\/p>\n YONGSAN UNDER FIRE<\/b><\/p>\n From the outset, Yoon\u2019s relocation of the executive branch to Yongsan drew <\/span>heavy criticism<\/span><\/a>. The decision was executed without a formal transition committee, bypassing institutional review and logistical planning. Yoon justified the move as an effort to open the presidency to the public, but observers argue the lack of consultation and planning severely undermined its credibility.<\/span><\/p>\n Security concerns have only grown since. Critics warned early on that proximity to U.S. military facilities made the new location vulnerable to foreign surveillance. These fears were validated in April 2023, when leaked U.S. intelligence documents revealed <\/span>American monitoring<\/span><\/a> of internal South Korean security deliberations, reportedly collected through signals intelligence.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhile the U.S. has bases around the world, co-locating a presidential office near one is highly unusual and undermines strategic autonomy,\u201d said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.<\/span><\/p>\n Then-President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol briefs reporters on the plan to relocate the presidential office to Yongsan, March 20, 2022 | Image: 20th Presidential Transition Committee<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n A series of subsequent breaches further deepened doubts about Yongsan\u2019s fitness. In Dec. 2022, a <\/span>North Korean drone<\/span><\/a> violated a no-fly zone near the presidential compound. The military initially denied the breach but later confirmed the incident, prompting criticism over air defense vulnerabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n North Korean <\/span>trash balloons<\/span><\/a> later landed on the compound in mid-2024, carrying anti-Yoon propaganda and highlighting the site\u2019s psychological and physical exposure.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a coincidence that airspace vulnerabilities have worsened since the move,\u201d Shin added.<\/span><\/p>\n Observers have also raised concerns about the compound\u2019s symbolic and institutional impact. Jumin Lee, a former ROK Air Force officer and trial attorney based in Los Angeles, noted that the relocation has blurred the line between civilian and military spheres.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe physical proximity between the two institutions may have encouraged some in the military to prioritize loyalty to the president over loyalty to the constitution,\u201d Lee said, referring to the number of <\/span>senior military officers<\/span><\/a> who had attempted to enforce Yoon\u2019s martial law decree.<\/span><\/p>\n He further argued that Yongsan failed to meet the original justification for abandoning the Blue House.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRegardless of its practical advantages, Yongsan is now inextricably tied to Yoon Suk-yeol and his perceived subversion of democratic norms,\u201d Lee said. \u201cAny incoming administration will likely feel political pressure to move simply to create a symbolic break.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Democratic Party presidential hopefuls Lee Jae-myung, Kim Kyung-soo and Kim Dong-yeon, April 16, 2025 | Image: Democratic Party of Korea<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n CANDIDATES SPLIT ON PLANS<\/b><\/p>\n Presidential candidates are divided over whether to keep the Yongsan office, return to the Blue House or move to Sejong City.<\/span><\/p>\n All major contenders in the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), including frontrunner Lee Jae-myung, Kim Dong-yeon and Kim Kyung-soo, have pledged to relocate the presidential office to Sejong City.<\/span><\/p>\n Lee has also promised to build a new National Assembly building in Sejong during his term \u201cafter reaching social consensus,\u201d reviving an unfinished vision from former President Roh Moo-hyun. Nevertheless, he did not specify a timetable.<\/span><\/p>\n Senior DP lawmaker Kim Min-seok has argued that Yongsan\u2019s association with alleged martial law planning in Dec. 2024 makes it politically untenable. \u201cThe public is unlikely to support the continued use of the Yongsan office,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Some candidates from the ruling People Power Party (PPP), such as Hong Jun-pyo and Ahn Cheol-soo, support a return to the Blue House, with Ahn suggesting a hybrid model that balances public access with official functions not unlike the White House.<\/span><\/p>\n Others in the PPP, including former party leader Han Dong-hoon, favor retaining the current location, while former labor minister Kim Moon-soo and lawmaker Na Kyung-won have called for a constitutional review before any changes are made.<\/span><\/p>\n Despite the political momentum, experts remain skeptical that any candidate will be able to execute a full relocation within the next term.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt would be physically difficult to identify and prepare a new location before the next term begins,\u201d Shin told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRestoration and security retrofitting would be a massive project,\u201d Shin said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about moving furniture. It\u2019s rebuilding a command center from scratch.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in announces his pick for prime minister at the Blue House press room, Dec. 17, 2019 | Image: Moon Jae-in via Facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n LIMITS OF THE BLUE HOUSE<\/b><\/p>\n While reopening the Blue House as the seat of government is an option, practical challenges loom. Since its transformation into a public museum in 2022, the compound has hosted tens of thousands of monthly visitors and has become a symbol of post-presidential transparency.<\/span><\/p>\n DP lawmaker Kim Byung-joo has suggested the next president consider returning, despite his party\u2019s emphasis on moving to Sejong. However, experts note that restoring the Blue House would require substantial upgrades.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Blue House is now open to the public, functioning as a historical and civic space,\u201d said Benjamin A. Engel, assistant professor of Korean Studies at Dankook University. \u201cMore importantly, the security overhaul required to turn it back into a presidential office would be enormous. You\u2019d need bug sweeps, infrastructure rebuilds, new communication systems \u2014 it wouldn\u2019t be a simple reactivation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhatever the new president decides, it must involve meaningful consultation with civil society, security experts, urban planners and political stakeholders,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Shin concurred, noting that even with existing defensive advantages due to terrain and military support, reactivation would take roughly a year.<\/span><\/p>\n South Korean honor guards put on a show near the Blue House, May 2017 | Image: ROK Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism<\/a> (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0<\/a>)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n SEJONG POSES CHALLENGES<\/b><\/p>\n