hankyoreh

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a luncheon with heads of six economic organizations at his office in Seoul’s Tongui neighborhood on March 21. (pool photo)

Criticism is mounting over President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s decision to relocate the presidential office to the Ministry of National Defense compound in Yongsan, with some referring to his decision-making style as “imperial leadership.” With Yoon already having made a major decision unilaterally without considering the opinions of his close aides, concerns are growing about how Yoon’s leadership style will affect state affairs over the next five years.

Despite even his closest aides suggesting he take more time to plan things out, Yoon has chosen to push through with the relocation anyway, doubling down on his decision by holding a press conference on Sunday.

Former Minister of Science and Technology Kim Young-hwan, who also served as a special adviser to Yoon, took to Facebook on Monday, posting, “As far as I know, Chief of Staff Chang Je-won, Chairman of the National Unity Committee Kim Han-gil, and Chairman of the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development Kim Byeong-jun, all felt that the brakes should be pumped.”

“Some say [Yoon] made the decision in an imperial way, but he made the lonely and painful decision on his own,” Kim’s post read.

Kim Gi-hyeon, floor leader of the People Power Party (PPP), also reportedly expressed concerns within the party about the speedy relocation of the office, but Yoon appears to have disregarded all of them.

“Many around Yoon were saying that the speed [of the decision] had to be adjusted. However, these [opinions] were not accepted by Yoon, who [is someone who], once he makes a decision, has to see it to the end,” a PPP official told the Hankyoreh in a phone interview on Monday.

Yoon has shown a preference for a private decision-making process, as has been illustrated through his plan to relocate the 100-year-old presidential office.

The relocation of the office was considered in earnest on March 14 when Rep. Yoon Han-hong was nominated to be the team leader of Yoon’s “Blue House Relocation Task Force.”

Yoon Suk-yeol decided to relocate the office to Yongsan six days later, on March 20, the day that Yoon Han-hong was officially appointed as the leader of the task force.

The decision to relocate to Yongsan was reviewed under a two-person system including Yoon Han-hong and Kim Yong-hyun, former director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Yoon’s nominee for the head of the Presidential Security Service. Still, the final decision was made by president-elect Yoon himself.

“Before the official announcement, we held discussions with those in key positions due to the security concerns,” Kim Yong-hyun told the Hankyoreh. “Meanwhile, we decided where [the office] should be moved to and, now that we have to start pushing ahead in earnest, the task force was established accordingly,” Kim added.

Although the transition committee members and the president-elect visited possible locations for the office together, no efforts were made to collect public opinion through public hearings or other methods.

When criticism of the hasty decision followed, the PPP said that Yongsan was already being considered as a possible site to relocate the office to prior to the election.

“Yongsan was also considered [an option for the relocation],” said Kim Jae-won, member of the PPP’s supreme council, during a radio interview with MBC on Monday. “If consideration of Yongsan took place during the election process, it may have caused controversy. While the expression of opening the ‘Gwanghwamun era’ was used, an extensive review was carried out [for possible sites] and that included Yongsan,” Kim added.

Although these remarks try to address criticism that the relocation of the presidential office has been rushed, it can also be said that in prioritizing greater communication, Yoon’s camp was keeping talk of relocation to Yongsan close to the chest to avoid controversy.

Moreover, Yoon also received criticism from the political sphere.

“It takes close to several years to move even one front-line unit, so it makes no sense to move the heart of national defense in just two months,” Yun Ho-jung, chairman of the Democratic Party’s interim steering committee, said at a meeting Monday “A mere 10 days after being elected, the true nature of this administration of non-communication was laid bare,” Yun added.

Moreover, Park In-sook, vice leader of the minor progressive Justice Party, also criticized Yoon’s decision, saying, “This method of non-communication and pushing for the relocation goes against the original purpose of the move, which was meant to promote communication.”

Experts are saying that Yoon’s first act to relocate the presidential office is a preview of his leadership in state affairs over the next five years, which they believe may be dominated by non-communication and unilateral decision-making.

“As President Moon Jae-in also pledged to become a ‘Gwanghwamun president,’ there were enough areas for the ruling and opposition parties to agree on. The Blue House is within the jurisdiction of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who also called for caution, but [Yoon] isn’t even listening to those in his own camp,” said Lee Jae-mook, a professor of politics and diplomacy at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

“In a situation where the [transition committee’s] legal basis was weak, the president-elect pushed ahead without an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. What will they do if the next president decides to move again in five years?” Lee asked.

Regarding the legal basis for transplanting the presidential office, some point out it falls beyond the scope of the transition committee. They criticize the former prosecutor-general, who stressed the rule of law, for declaring he would relocate the office without consideration for the law or prior consultation with the ruling party.

Meanwhile, some are also pointing out that Yoon has something else he needs to apologize for first — namely, his pledges regarding the opening of a so-called “Gwanghwamun era.”

“[Yoon] said that his pledge regarding the opening of a Gwanghwamun era would be a ‘catastrophe,’ so it would only be right for him to apologize for this poor pledge first,” said Cha Jae-won, a professor at the Catholic University of Pusan. “From his very first decision, [Yoon’s] attitude of ‘I’m right’ has clearly revealed the problem of non-communication,” Cha continued.

“If they really want to change the power structure, not only the space [where the president works], but also revising the constitution and the reform of the party structure must be carried out at the same time, which is not happening,” Cha added.

By Jang Na-rye, staff reporter; Oh Yeon-seo, staff reporter

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