South Korea’s presidential office moving back to traditional Blue House

SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is moving the presidential office back to the country’s traditional Blue House compound, departing from the Defence Ministry complex where his ousted predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol had set up his office.

Mr Lee’s office has said it expects to complete the move to the Blue House mansion by around Christmas.

The presidential residence, however, is not moving at the same time as parts of the Blue House are undergoing an inspection due to damage that occurred during the last administration, and measures will be announced later, the office said on Dec 22.

Mr Lee, who won a snap election in June, pledged during his campaign to eventually move the presidential office to Sejong city, south of Seoul, where several government ministries are located, to help boost local economies outside the capital.

The presidential office did not say on Dec 22 what will happen to the compound that Mr Lee is leaving.

Yoon, who was removed from office in April after briefly declaring martial law, broke with decades of tradition by shifting his office and residence out of the Blue House.

Soon after taking office in 2022, Yoon moved the presidential office to a cluster of former Defence Ministry buildings in another area of central Seoul, defying security concerns and spending about US$40 million (S$51.7 million) on the move.

The move whipped up a debate among experts on fengshui, a practice that originated in ancient China to ensure harmony between people and their environment, after some political rivals accused Yoon of being influenced by those who said the Blue House location was inauspicious.

After Yoon moved out, the Blue House was opened to the public and more than eight million people had visited by mid-June 2025.

The Blue House, or Cheong Wa Dae in Korean, is named after the blue tiles that cover the top of the main building and is nestled in a scenic spot in front of Bugaksan mountain. REUTERS