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The Blue House (Kim Bong-gyu/The Hankyoreh)

The Blue House, which currently serves as the South Korean presidential office, will be opened to the public as soon as President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration ceremony finishes on May 10.

Lawmaker Yoon Han-hong, who heads the presidential office relocation task force, spoke about the plan in a press conference Monday at Yoon’s presidential transition committee office in Seoul’s Tongui neighborhood.

“During the election, [Yoon] promised that the Blue House, a symbol of ‘imperial authority,’ would be returned to the public,” he explained.

“To honor that pledge, he plans to open the doors of the Blue House fully at the time that his inauguration ceremony ends on May 10,” he added.

He went on to say, “The Blue House — including its main building and reception hall, as well as its Nokjiwon, which has been described as the greatest garden around, and its [traditional hanok house] Sangchunjae — will be given a new life as an open space for everyone to enjoy.”

“Additionally, the hiking trails on Mount Bugak, which were previously closed because of the Blue House, will also be fully opened on the morning of May 10, allowing them to serve as a premier recreational destination for the public to enjoy at any time,” he continued.

For a start, Yoon’s camp is planning to keep the Blue House open without holidays from May 10 to 21. Up to 39,000 people will be granted admission per day, with additional plans for the complex’s opening to be announced at a later date.

By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter

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