The government is reportedly preparing to move the presidential office in Cheong Wa Dae to the Government Complex in Gwanghwamun in 2019.
The complex is mainly occupied by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, one of the largest ministries with almost 1,000 employees. In order to accommodate Cheong Wa Dae’s relocation plan, the ministry will move to Sejong, the administrative capital which already houses various other ministries.
The relocation of the presidential office is part of President Moon Jae-in’s pledge for more transparency and better communication in state affairs. The relocation plan was included in the 100 tasks contained in Moon’s five-year policy roadmap unveiled last month.
The President has vowed to work outside of Cheong Wa Dae to create a public park around the area and let people enjoy the surrounding mountains which had been closed off for security reasons. He has also said that he hopes to meet with citizens more often when he moves his office to Gwanghwamun.
Many citizens have welcomed the new President’s tendency to be more open and communicative than his predecessor, Park Geun-hye. However, moving the presidential office is not a good idea for several reasons.
First, the relocation may end up wasting a lot of taxpayers’ money. To accommodate additional ministries moving to the administrative capital, the government has to build an additional complex in Sejong. The government will also have to spend money on refurbishing the Government Complex in Gwanghwamun for the President’s special security needs.
Second, the President’s regular presence in Gwanghwamun may also inconvenience citizens, stores and workers in the area because of security problems. Also, it is unsure what the government plans to do with Cheong Wa Dae after the relocation. Whatever the government decides to do with it, it will still have to spend money to manage the site even after the relocation.
In the mobile age, there are so many other ways to promote transparency and communication with citizens besides moving the presidential offices. From the citizens’ point of view, it doesn’t matter where the president works from as long as he or she performs his or her job properly.
The government should fully consider these issues before finalizing the plan to move the presidential office.