Lee Jae-myung to work from Yongsan for now; public tours also continue
With Lee Jae-myung elected as South Korea’s new president, the future of Cheong Wa Dae — the former presidential compound in Seoul — is once again in the spotlight.
Lee pledged to begin his term at the current presidential office in Yongsan, a few kilometers to the south, but plans to relocate the office back to Cheong Wa Dae after necessary renovations are completed. He also reaffirmed his commitment to solidifying the status of the city of Sejong as the administrative capital by establishing a presidential office and National Assembly annex there.
So far, the presidential office has not issued any instructions to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which has managed the Cheong Wa Dae compound since former President Yoon Suk Yeol relocated the presidential office in 2022.
As of Thursday at noon, reservations for public tours — which open one month in advance — remain open, with no official directive yet from the presidential office to suspend them.
On Wednesday, full-scale maintenance and repair work began on walking paths within the Cheong Wa Dae grounds, prompting speculation that renovations were tied to the presidential office's return. However, the project is not directly related to the office’s planned relocation, having been scheduled earlier by the Jung-gu District Office, with the Cheong Wa Dae Foundation cooperating in its execution, an official at the foundation told The Korea Herald on Thursday morning.
The construction area spans the entire 1.31-kilometer trail, while facilities such as the main building and state guest house — located outside the affected trail zone — remain open to visitors.
When asked whether tour reservations would be suspended — and if so, which reservations might be affected — a Ministry of Culture official told The Korea Herald that the ministry would explain how the current system operates to the presidential office, but the final decision would rest with the administration.
For now, Lee will continue commuting to the Yongsan presidential office. A long-term official residence has yet to be selected. Lee spent his first night as president at a secure residence arranged by the presidential office.
Meanwhile, public interest in Cheong Wa Dae soared during the presidential campaign amid discussions of its possible closure. According to the Cheong Wa Dae Foundation, the site welcomed 427,780 visitors in May alone — more than double the number of visitors during the same period last year.
Cheong Wa Dae, an iconic complex that served as the executive office and official residence of South Korea’s presidents for more than 70 years, has been a symbol of state power and political history since the government of the Republic of Korea was established in 1948. It was home to 12 former presidents until President Yoon Suk Yeol relocated the presidential office to Yongsan in 2022, opening Cheong Wa Dae to the public as a cultural and historical site.
gypark@heraldcorp.com
