Moon buys land in Yangsan for retirement house

President Moon Jae-in plays with his pet dog Maru at his private residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on his day off in May 2017. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

By Kim Rahn

President Moon Jae-in is expected to spend his retirement in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, near his current private residence.

According to the Yangsan city government, Friday, Moon bought a two-story house and surrounding land jointly with first lady Kim Jung-sook in April. The couple and the Presidential Security Service (PSS) purchased more land around the house jointly, with the PSS buying some more land nearby. Moon paid 1 billion won ($822,000) at his own expense, Cheong Wa Dae said.

On the land, which covers 3,800 square meters, his new house as well as a guard office and an accommodation for guards will be built, with the latter facilities being established according to the law on former presidents. Moon's term will end in May 2022.

The area is about 10 minutes on foot from Tongdo Temple, one of the tourist attractions that has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is convenient for transportation, with the Seoul-Busan expressway and Ulsan Station for a high-speed KTX nearby.

President Moon Jae-in looks at a reservoir behind his private residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, during a stroll on his day off in this September 2018 photo. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

Moon resided at his private residence in Maegok-dong, also in Yangsan, before becoming President, and planned to return there after retirement. But the PSS said the residence was not suitable for a former president's retirement house, as it lacks space to build the guard office and has some topographic problems in terms of security, presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said.

“He ordered the PSS and other relevant authorities not to make the new house bigger than the Maegok-dong house,” Kang said, adding Moon would sell his Maegok-dong property.