South Korea Presidential Office To Be Formally Renamed Cheong Wa Dae On Monday

SEOUL, Dec 24 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korean presidential office said on Wednesday it will be formally renamed Cheong Wa Dae early next week, with the relocation of the office to the historic compound nearing completion, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The presidential flag bearing two phoenixes at the current office in the Defence Ministry complex in Yongsan, central Seoul, will be lowered at midnight on Sunday and raised at Cheong Wa Dae at the same time, the office said in a press notice.

The move will mark the official return of the presidential office on Monday, occurring about three years and seven months after former President Yoon Suk Yeol relocated it to the Defence Ministry complex.

For now, President Lee Jae Myung will continue commuting from his residence in Hannam-dong as renovation and inspection work on the official residence at Cheong Wa Dae is still under way to repair damage from when the complex was opened to the public under the previous administration.

“Relocating the official residence to Cheong Wa Dae is not yet possible due to ongoing renovation work,” a senior presidential official said. “The presidential residence is likely to be ready in the first half of next year.”

Cheong Wa Dae consists of the main building, the Yeomin Building office complex, the Yeongbingwan state guest house and the Chunchugwan press centre, with the official residence nestled in the nearby hills.

Under the new setup, Lee is expected to spend most of his working hours in the Yeomin complex, where he will work alongside his three top aides — the chief of staff, policy chief and national security adviser — and other key staff members for closer communication.

The main building, the symbolic heart of Cheong Wa Dae with its iconic blue roof, located about 500 metres from the office complex, will be used mainly for formal events such as summits and credential ceremonies.

Some staff members and reporters have already moved in. On Monday, the presidential office held its daily briefing with reporters at the Chunchugwan press centre for the first time since May 2022.

The relocation fulfils one of Lee's campaign pledges and reverses Yoon's 2022 decision to move the presidential office to Yongsan and the residence to the foreign minister's official home in Hannam-dong.

Yoon said at the time that the move was meant to bring the presidency closer to the public, but the Yongsan office is set to be closed about one year after his surprise declaration of martial law in December 2024.

Lee has also proposed eventually relocating the presidential office to the central administrative city of Sejong by around 2030 as part of his balanced regional growth agenda. Until then, Cheong Wa Dae is expected to serve as his main workplace for most of his five-year term.

Long seen as a symbol of presidential power and, at times, authoritarian leadership, Cheong Wa Dae has served as the workplace and residence of presidents since the 1960s.

As Lee moves back into the complex, attention is on whether he can address concerns about public accessibility, especially given his emphasis on transparent communication, illustrated in his recent livestreamed policy briefings.

As part of the plan, the Presidential Security Service (PSS) said it will maintain robust security while minimising inconvenience to the public.

Jogging routes around Cheong Wa Dae, Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbok Palace and nearby neighbourhoods will remain open, and access to surrounding hiking trails will be kept as open as possible, the PSS said.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP