The South Korean Presidential Office will be moved back to the Cheong Wa Dae Presidential Palace, also known as the Green House, on Christmas (December 24.) this year, ending the working period at the Ministry of National Defense complex in central Seoul. This information was confirmed by the Office of the President, saying that the relocation is being implemented according to plan.
President Lee Jae Myung has decided to return the Presidential Office to its traditional location, overturning the choice of his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who moved his headquarters to the old buildings of the Ministry of National Defense.
However, the presidential palace will not be moved at the same time, because some items in the Green House grounds are being inspected after damage occurred in the previous term. Measures related to the President's residence will be announced later.
Mr. Lee Jae Myung won early elections in June and during the election campaign pledged to gradually move the Presidential Office to Sejong City, south of Seoul, where many ministries and branches are concentrated, to promote economic development outside the capital. The Office of the President has not yet announced the fate of the complex that Mr. Lee is about to leave.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted in April after declaring a short-lived martial law, broke decades-long streak when he left the Blue House. After taking office in 2022, Mr. Yoon moved the Office and residence of the President to another area of central Seoul, despite security concerns and the cost of about 40 million USD for the relocation.
This decision once sparked controversy among Fengshuang experts, when some political opponents said that Mr. Yoon was influenced by the view that the position of the Green House was not favorable. After Mr. Yoon left, the Green House was opened to the public and has welcomed more than 8 million visitors as of mid-June this year.
The Green House, called Cheong Wa Dae, stands out with the green tiled roof of the main building and is located in a scenic location in front of Bugaksan Mountain, and has long been considered a symbol of the power of the President of the Republic of Korea.
