President Park Geun-hye and most of the presidential secretaries began their five-day summer vacation Monday, their first break since Park’s inauguration in February.

The destination and plans for Park during her break were not released for security reasons.

Park reportedly prepared five books, including “A European Education” by Romain Gary, to take on her vacation, although the reports were never confirmed.

“During my vacation, I will read books, look back at the administration so far and calmly think about the direction in the future,” Park had said during a luncheon with chief editorial writers earlier this month.

The near-vacant Cheong Wa Dae, meanwhile, will be maintained by chief of staff Huh Tae-yeol, national security office chief Kim Jang-soo, senior secretaries for civil affairs, culture and welfare, and spokeswoman Kim Haing.

“Thorough care should be paid so as not to lose discipline during the summer vacation period and Cheong Wa Dae should set an example,” Huh said in a meeting with the staff in the morning.

He also ordered relevant ministries to take care of the electricity supply and prevent accidents during what could be a lax period.

Past presidents including Lee Myung-bak and Roh Moo-hyun often spent their vacation with their families at military resort facilities.

The most popular destination before that was “Cheongnamdae,” built by former President Chun Doo-hwan in Cheongwon, North Chungcheong Province, in 1983. The villa was frequented by presidents for relaxation or to gather their thoughts during difficult times until in 2003 when Roh opened up the area to the public.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)