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President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol speaks over the phone with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at his office in central Seoul’s Jongno District on March 14. (provided by the People Power Party)

It has been confirmed that President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is considering relocating the presidential office to the Ministry of National Defense compound in Seoul’s Yongsan District. Although Yoon initially wanted to move the office to the Seoul Government Complex in Gwanghwamun, that option now seems more difficult due to various logistical issues.

Still, concerns remain that moving the presidential office to Yongsan will make communication with the public and close cooperation with government officials more difficult.

“Two [locations] are being considered for the presidential office: the Ministry of National Defense compound in Yongsan and the Foreign Ministry building in Gwanghwamun,” said lawmaker Yoon Han-hong, head of the Blue House relocation task force for the People Power Party, on Tuesday.

Yoon Han-hong is said to have recently visited potential sites for the office with Kim Yong-hyun, the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is being considered as a strong candidate for the position of head of presidential security for Yoon Suk-yeol. The new review of the Defense Ministry compound seems to have taken into account concerns about security and the possibility of using the Defense Ministry's underground bunker.

Compared to the Seoul Government Complex or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Gwanghwamun, there are relatively few high-rise buildings around the Ministry of National Defense, meaning it would be easier to guard while the underground bunker and helipad located at the site could also be used by the president.

“If the office is moved to Gwanghwamun, then we will still have to use the underground bunker and helipad of the Blue House. Locating the office at the Ministry of Defense compound is more aligned with the vision of returning the Blue House to the people,” said Yoon Han-hong.

According to the relocation task force, the lack of space at the Seoul Government Complex would make setting up the presidential office there essentially unworkable. As a result, the president-elect’s team is now considering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building located next door as its plan B.

Moreover, the location of the official presidential residence is also expected to vary depending on which site is chosen for the presidential office. If the office is moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, then the residence will likely be what is now the prime minister's residence in the Samcheong neighborhood. On the other hand, if the Defense Ministry compound is chosen for the office, then the presidential residence would be located in the Hannam neighborhood, where various officials such as the Army chief of staff, defense minister, and foreign minister live.

However, if the office is indeed moved to Yongsan, then it wouldn’t quite align with Yoon’s pledges of working more closely with government officials and with the public. This is because outsiders are heavily restricted from coming near military compounds such as those in Yongsan. This could end up making smooth communication with the people — and even with other government officials — more difficult.

In response to this, representative Yoon Han-hong suggested building a “family park” near the Yongsan compound to make it easier for the president to interact with the public.

The final relocation plans are expected to be announced as early as this week.

“We need about one month to finalize the remodeling and to have all the necessary staff relocate,” noted Yoon Han-hong.

“If we want to finalize everything before [the president-elect] takes office, then we have to decide by this weekend or early next week at the latest,” he added.

By Jang Na-rye, staff reporter

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