South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol yesterday said that he would relocate his office from the “imperial” Blue House, in a move critics charged is linked to his belief in shamanistic spiritual practices.
Yoon, who won a tight election earlier this month, pledged on the campaign trail that he would move presidential business out of the Blue House — home to South Korea’s leaders since 1948.
The former prosecutor has accused the hilltop headquarters of fostering an “imperial” presidency and undermining communication with the public.
Photo: EPA-EFE
He is not the first leader to try to relocate.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in also pledged to move out “to eradicate the authoritarian presidential culture,” but faced security and logistical hurdles.
Those hurdles remain — the move has raised concerns for its reported cost of about 50 billion won (US$41.28 million), and because roads in crowded Seoul would have to be closed every day during the presidential commute.
Yoon’s critics have said his desire to move is tied to his belief in feng shui, a traditional religious practice that stresses the importance of harmony between humans and nature.
The former prosecutor has been dogged by accusations of ties to a shaman, which he has denied.
The Blue House has long been rumored to foster bad luck for its residents, given the impeachment, corruption trials and imprisonment that have befallen South Korean presidents.
Yoon told a news conference that he would start to work from the South Korean Ministry of National Defense compound after his inauguration on May 10.
“It’s a difficult task, but it’s a decision I made for the future of the country,” Yoon told reporters.
Yoon said the defense ministry compound was equipped with the necessary national security facilities and would minimize inconvenience compared with other possible new offices.
Addressing the concerns around the move, he said his decision was aimed at making the president more accessible and approachable.
A massive public park would be set up near the new presidential office and ordinary citizens would be able to look at his office from a close distance, Yoon said.
He said he also plans to establish a media center and meet journalists frequently.
“If I move into the Blue House compound, I think it will be harder to be free from the imperial power that is symbolic of the Blue House,” he said.
The Blue House would be fully open to the public starting May 10, he added.
Additional reporting by AP
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College