Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Yoon's aides contemplate venue for Yoon-Biden summit
Seen above is the defense ministry compound in Yongsan District, Seoul. The building, center left is the Ministry of National Defense Convention, which is anticipated to be the venue for a summit between President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden. Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo
With a summit between President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden anticipated to take place in May, the presidential committee and Yoon's aides are deliberating over the summit's venue.
According to Yoon's aides, Thursday, they are exploring possible venues for the Yoon-Biden summit and the Ministry of National Defense (MND) Convention building in the defense ministry compound is emerging as a likely place.
MND Convention is a convention center located in the front of the defense ministry compound near Samgakji Station in Yongsan District, Seoul. It is equipped with 10 banquet halls and is mostly used for wedding ceremonies for military officers and other officials.
Yoon plans to leave the current presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno District, Seoul, and set up a new one in the defense ministry compound. Since Cheong Wa Dae will be open to the public after Yoon's inauguration on May 10, the current state guest house in Cheong Wa Dae will not likely be used.
If MND Convention is selected as the venue for the Yoon-Biden summit, however, a number of setbacks are expected.
The building is located in the middle of the downtown areas of Yongsan, Itaewon and Samgakji, where traffic is heavily congested. If the traffic routes are closed ― in the neighborhoods mentioned ― during Biden's stay, serious public inconvenience is expected.
An announcement banner posted on the Ministry of National Defense (MND) Convention website. It reads "Wedding ceremonies will be held as scheduled, regardless of the presidential office relocation." Captured from MND Convention website
Cancelling wedding hall reservations is also expected to become a setback. According to the convention center, it is almost fully booked for the weekends of May. From May 21 to 22, during which time Biden is expected to visit Seoul, 10 wedding ceremonies are scheduled, with five taking place from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day.
The convention center has announced that there will be no changes in wedding reservations following the relocation of the presidential office, but it is yet to have talks with couples who booked wedding halls on the anticipated day of the summit.
“We are yet to have discussions with those hwo made reservations regarding the anticipated summit,” an official at the convention hall said. “Those couples have made their reservations at least a year ago, and we expect it will be difficult to ask for their understanding to change the schedule abruptly.”
Biden is scheduled to visit Japan to attend a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue summit slated for May 24. He is expected to stop by Seoul on May 20, have the summit with Yoon on May 21, and depart for Japan on the following day.
Sources said that officials from the U.S. government are expected to visit Seoul as early as this weekend to inspect possible venues for the summit.