The main opposition Democratic Party on Sunday opened its new headquarters in Yeouido, returning to Seoul’s political center after nine years away. In 2004, the party relocated to Yeongdeung-po, a relatively underdeveloped area in southern Seoul, following criticism that its headquarters were too luxurious.

In making the move to the new office, which is about 90 percent smaller than its previous office, the DP relocated a number of departments to the National Assembly in order to cut costs.

According to DP secretary-general Rep. Park Ki-choon, the move increased the party’s funds for supporting its members to 540 million won ($486,000).

The DP also unveiled a new logo: the party’s name in Korean written in white against a blue background. The DP said that the color blue, which has never been used by the DP, represents “trust, hope and (the) progressive” nature of the party. 

(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)