[1st YEAR in OFFICE] Much-troubled, gaffe-laden start to Yongsan era

The presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul / Courtesy of presidential office

Presidential office moved from Cheong Wa Dae to Yongsan for 'better communication' with people

By Jun Ji-hye

One of the biggest changes since President Yoon Suk Yeol took office on May 10 last year was the relocation of the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to what used to be the defense ministry compound in Yongsan District, Seoul.

Moving the presidential office out of Cheong Wa Dae, which was one of his campaign pledges, demonstrated Yoon's commitment to connecting with the people.

Yoon began his official duty as the president at the office in Yongsan from the first days of his presidency, and Cheong Wa Dae, which had been closed to the public for the past 70 years, opened to Korean citizens as he promised.

Through this decision, Yoon showed his willingness to dismantle what he described as a structural system that supported an insular presidency and create a new presidential culture by getting closer to the public.

"In a country that has a presidential system, the president's work should be transparent to the public and the president should accept criticism," Yoon said in a speech last year marking his 100th day in office.

The trademark of the new Yongsan era was Yoon's Q&A sessions with reporters on his way to work every morning.

President Yoon Suk Yeol holds his routine Q&A sessions with reporters on his way to work at the presidential office in Yongsan District in this Sept. 8, 2022 photo. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

The Q&As, called "doorstepping" sessions, started with good intentions in an effort to strengthen communication with the press and the people, but were sometimes blamed for his poor approval ratings as Yoon's unfiltered and impromptu remarks sometimes led to controversy and public anger.

Such good intentions were eventually tarnished when the doorstepping sessions were suspended indefinitely last Nov. 21 due to a conflict between the presidential office and local broadcaster MBC over an incident where a hot mic recorded Yoon talking about the U.S. Congress and President Joe Biden during his trip to New York in September.

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The suspension invited fierce criticism, with critics saying that the president broke his own promise.

In addition, the recent leak of classified Pentagon documents purporting that U.S. intelligence authorities had been spying on allies, including Korea, also reignited the controversy over the hasty relocation of the presidential office to Yongsan, right next to the large, mostly empty U.S. Army Garrison (USAG) Yongsan.

The U.S.' alleged surveillance rekindled concerns about security that were raised when Yoon, who was president-elect at the time, was pushing ahead with the relocation of the presidential office before his inauguration despite concerns raised by opposition parties and some security experts.

During the National Assembly's confirmation hearings for then-Defense Minister nominee Lee Jong-sup on May 4 last year, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties voiced concerns over security issues, including the risk of eavesdropping, if the presidential office was moved without thorough preparation.

Rep. Kim Byung-kee of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, who used to work for the National Intelligence Service, cited at the time that it had taken 15 years for the United States to complete the construction of its embassy in Moscow due to security issues.

Yoon and his staff tried to settle the controversy, saying the U.S. government's alleged surveillance will not shake the ironclad trust between the two allies.

President Yoon Suk Yeol listens as U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during their joint news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 26 (local time). AP-Yonhap

Together with the relocation of the presidential office, Yoon has also pushed to create a large garden nearby, in line with his willingness to get closer to the public.

As the first step, Yongsan Children's Garden was opened to the public on May 4, the eve of Children's Day and ahead of his one year in office.

The new park was created on a 300,000-square-meter site that was returned by U.S. Forces Korea as part of the ongoing Yongsan Relocation Plan to move its headquarters to Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province.

The process of returning the land had been moving slowly, but picked up speed once the presidential office moved to Yongsan, according to the presidential office.

Yoon attended the opening ceremony for the children's garden, along with first lady Kim Keon Hee.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee hand out balloons to children during the opening ceremony of Yongsan Children's Garden, located in front of the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, May 4. Joint Press Corps

"It reminds me of how I felt when I returned Cheong Wa Dae to the public and relocated the presidential office to here in Yongsan upon my inauguration," Yoon said during his congratulatory address.

The presidential office noted that through the opening of the park, Yoon kept another promise to get closer to the public.