The Blue House 2.0 era returns··· Shedding the ‘sealed palace’ stigma to create a work-communication space for an ‘get-things-done government’ - 경향신문

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The Blue House as seen on the 21st, with the Yongsan Presidential Office’s return imminent. Reporter Seong Dong-hoon

The relocation of the Yongsan Presidential Office back to the Blue House will be completed within this week. Leaving behind the Yongsan Presidential Office era, seen as a symbol of poor communication and authoritarianism, a new Blue House era begins again.

““The completion of national normalization.”” A Presidential Office official on the 24th defined the return to the Blue House this way. Kim Jin-ae, Chair of the National Architectural Policy Committee under the President, also said in a YTN Radio interview on the 22nd regarding the return of the presidential office to the Blue House, ““It carries the symbolism that our society has fully returned to normal.””

The Presidential Office plans to consolidate the president and aides’ workspaces in the Yeomin complex to continue a work-centered government approach, while expanding live coverage of state affairs and increasing communication with the public through open and low-profile security principles.

Citizens pass in front of the Blue House’s Yeomin complex, where the president’s aides will work, on the afternoon of the 7th. Senior Staff Reporter Jeong Ji-yoon

The biggest differentiator of the Lee Jae-myung administration’s Blue House is the ‘under one roof’ arrangement of the President and the three chiefs (Chief of Staff, Policy Chief, and National Security Advisor). The Blue House had long been criticized for an inefficient layout of its buildings. The Main Building office used by the president is as far as 500 meters from the Yeomin complex where aides work, roughly a 10-minute walk. Accordingly, Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in installed the president’s office in the Yeomin complex to strengthen communication with their staff.

The main office of President Lee will be located on the third floor of Yeomin Building 1, and the offices of the three chiefs will be on the second floor of Yeomin Building 1. It is said the size differentials among the chiefs’ offices have been eliminated. During the Moon Jae-in administration, the three chiefs were separated across Yeomin Building 1 (Chief of Staff), Yeomin Building 2 (Policy Chief), and Yeomin Building 3 (National Security Advisor). In addition, Woo Sang-ho, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, Ha Jeong-woo, Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning, and Ha Jun-kyung, Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, will also work in Yeomin Building 1. Yeomin Building 2 will house the State Affairs Situation Room and the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, while Yeomin Building 3 will house the National Security Office and the Office of the Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communication.

The Presidential Office intends to maximize communication efficiency by minimizing the movement lines between the president and senior aides. In an SBS Radio interview on the 16th, Lee Gyu-yeon, Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communication at the Presidential Office, said, ““The president is likely to be based mainly in the Yeomin complex, which is the working wing,”” adding, ““Given the president’s temperament, he will want to keep his aides by his side and work.”” Yoon Kun-young, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who worked at the Blue House for about eight years under the Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in administrations, said on MBC Radio that day, ““(The office in Yeomin Building 1 is) a 30-second walk once the president calls,”” adding, ““The three chiefs will have a tough time. They may be smiling on the outside, but inside they will be wondering how to cope.””

On the 7th, ahead of the full-scale relocation of the presidential office, police officials inspect the security zone in front of the Blue House. Senior Staff Reporter Jeong Ji-yoon

Taking the return to the Blue House as an opportunity, the Presidential Office also plans to broaden channels of communication with the public. At a press briefing on the 7th, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said, ““After the move back to the Blue House, we plan to further expand online live broadcasts of the president’s schedule,”” adding that the open studio set up at the Yongsan Presidential Office in October will be moved to and operated at the Blue House Sarangchae. Because the Sarangchae is freely accessible without separate advance application, access for the media and YouTubers is expected to improve.

To shed the Blue House’s image as a sealed palace, the administration will also narrow the physical distance with citizens. To that end, the Presidential Security Service will maintain the principles of open and low-profile security even after the return to the Blue House. Redesignating security zones will be minimized within the necessary scope, alongside measures to reduce public inconvenience. The practice of asking the destination of vehicles or pedestrians passing in front of the Blue House and checking belongings will be minimized, and the term checkpoint will not be used.

Nicknamed ‘Daengdaeng Run’ for its dog-shaped outline, the running course around Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbokgung, the Blue House, and Samcheong-dong. Naver Map capture

The Security Service also announced that it will not control the so-called ‘Daengdaeng Run’ running course around Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbokgung, the Blue House, and Samcheong-dong, keeping the environment as is. Nearby hiking trails will also see minimal controls to maintain openness. The autonomous bus route that began operating during the Yongsan era in tandem with the opening of the Blue Housebetween Gyeongbokgung Station, the Blue House, and the National Folk Museum of Koreawill continue unchanged. Although tours inside the Blue House grounds have been suspended, options to continue some visit programs are under review.

On the 7th, ahead of the full-scale relocation of the presidential office, the main gate of the Blue House stands firmly closed. Senior Staff Reporter Jeong Ji-yoon

Concerns about the Blue House’s closed nature have not been completely dispelled. A representative issue is security related to assemblies and demonstrations near the Blue House. Under current law, the presidential office, unlike the residence, is not included among places where outdoor assemblies and demonstrations are prohibited. In response, the ruling party is pushing to amend the Assembly and Demonstration Act to ban assemblies and demonstrations within 100 meters of the presidential office. The bill passed the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 3rd and now awaits only a plenary vote.

Civic groups argue that this violates the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly. They particularly warn that, if passed, the bill could preemptively block assemblies and demonstrations near the planned Sejong Office as well, which is targeted for completion in 2030. President Lee has pledged since the campaign to end his term in Sejong City.

Ranghee, an activist with Human Rights Movement Space Hwal, said, ““The true meaning of the Lee Jae-myung administration’s return to the Blue House is to take a different path from the ‘muzzling’ and lack of communication shown by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration,”” adding, ““Substantive strengthening of communication must proceed in a way that respects freedom of assembly and demonstration to the greatest extent possible.””

President Lee Jae-myung delivers opening remarks at the luncheon hosted by the Korean Senior Citizens Association, ““The Path Our Elders Have Walked, The Path We Will Carry Forward,”” held at the Blue House State Guest House on the morning of the 22nd. Provided by the Presidential Office

Experts said that more important than the physical move from Yongsan to the Blue House is the will to act on proactive communication. Kim Hyung-joon, Distinguished Professor at Paichai University, said, ““The efficiency of state administration is not determined by location,”” adding, ““Ultimately, what matters is the guiding line and attitude with which the president runs state affairs.”” Kim added, ““What President Lee needs is ‘soft power (the power to persuade),’ as discussed by Harvard University Distinguished Professor Joseph Nye,”” and continued, ““As with former US President Ronald Reagan, who devoted 70% of his working hours to meeting opposition lawmakers, a software-level change is needed to make the Blue House a space for cooperative governance.””

Lee Jun-han, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Incheon National University, said, ““The task is to overcome the physical and psychological isolation that the Blue House as a space can produce,”” adding, ““While preserving the symbolism of the space, promises such as normalizing work in the Yeomin complex and strengthening communication with citizens should be institutionalized so they can be kept throughout the term.””