South Korean presidential office prepares to relocate to the Blue House

Preparations are steadily underway to move the South Korean president's office back to the former presidential palace, Cheong Wa Dae, in 2022. The office will be relocated to the former presidential palace, Cheong Wa Dae, in 2022.
The Ministry of National Defense moved the headquarters from the Blue House to the former Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, but President Lee Jae-myung, who took office in June this year, indicated his intention to move it back to the Blue House.
The Cabinet approved the expenditure of 25.9 billion won (approximately 2.7 billion yen) from the reserve fund for the relocation of the Presidential Office. Up until now, security and safety inspections inside the Blue House and repair work on the facilities have been carried out.
The Blue House plans to complete the process of returning the presidential office to the Blue House by the end of the year, and the official residence by the first half of next year. The Blue House has been used as the presidential office for successive administrations.
The name comes from the fact that the roots are covered with blue tiles. The surrounding area was originally home to the royal family during the Goryeo dynasty. In July 1939, during the Japanese colonial period, the residence of the Governor-General of Korea was built, and in 1948
When the Republic of Korea was established, the first president, Lee Seung-man (Rhee Syngman), began using the former Government-General of Korea's official residence as his official residence and official residence under the name of Gyeongmudae.
Yun Bo-sung renamed it the Blue House. The current Blue House was completed in 1991 during the Roh Tae-woo administration. It covers a vast area of 25 square meters, more than three times the area of the US White House.
In addition to the presidential office, the official residence where the president and his family live, and the building where his secretaries work were built underground. The distance between the main building where the presidential office is located and the building where his secretaries work is less than 500 meters.
The Blue House used to be under strict security, and even the chief secretary had to call ahead to get permission before visiting the Oval Office.
Regarding the Blue House, former President Yoon, who criticized the “closed-door politics” of the Moon Jae-in administration (May 2017-May 2022), said he wanted to close the gap with the people and called it the “Blue House.”
"I will return the Blue House to the people," he declared. The Blue House building and grounds will be open to the public in time for Yoon's presidential inauguration in May 2022.
At the time, some people praised the end of the "Cheong Wa Dae era" as a major turning point in modern Korean history. Former President Yoon was born in the former Cheong Wa Dae Palace in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, about 6 kilometers from the Blue House.
The President's office was set up in the Ministry of National Defense building and he began working there. The official residence, which was located in the Blue House, was also moved to Hannam-dong in the same district. After the Blue House was opened to the public, the President's office and rooms for cabinet meetings were also renovated.
The event attracted many visitors, as it allowed them to see places that had never been accessible before. It is said that one in six Japanese people visited the event.
Meanwhile, President Lee, who took office in June this year, has been voicing concerns about the presidential office in Yongsan since he was a presidential candidate, saying, "There are problems with wiretapping and security.
"These are serious issues," he said, adding, "If I am elected, I will use the presidential office in Yongsan for now, but it would be better to quickly renovate the Blue House and move there," indicating his intention to return the functions of the presidential office to the Blue House.
In addition, former President Yoon was impeached and removed from office for declaring "emergency martial law" in December last year, and the current presidential office was also the "stage" for that emergency martial law, and the current president
The negative image of the previous Yoon administration remains strong in the city, and this is believed to have been one of the reasons behind the decision to relocate.
Following President Lee's policy, the Blue House will close for public viewing in July of this year.
Preparations have been underway to relocate the presidential office. According to a report by the news agency Yonhap News on the 9th of this month, it is certain that the presidential office will be relocated within the year.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's 101st Security Brigade, which is responsible for the protection and security of the presidential office, is currently renovating the building it previously used within the Blue House.
According to Yonhap, police expect the relocation of the presidential office to take place after mid-December, while the relocation of the presidential residence is expected to take place in the first half of next year.