New president to start term in Yongsan, eyes future move to Sejong

Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung delivers a speech during his final campaign rally at Yeouido Park in Seoul, Monday, one day before the election. Yonhap

With his election victory, Lee Jae-myung is expected to begin his presidency at the current executive compound in Yongsan, Seoul. However, he has signaled intentions to eventually restore the former presidential office at Cheong Wa Dae and pursue a long-term relocation of the headquarters to the administrative capital of Sejong.

With no transition team and limited time to coordinate a relocation, Lee is expected to temporarily continue operations from Yongsan — the same site used by his predecessor, impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Aides say the move reflects practical constraints rather than a permanent choice.

“President Lee has made it clear that Yongsan is not a permanent solution,” a campaign official said. “He intends to restore Cheong Wa Dae as the executive center and pursue the relocation of key state functions, including the presidential office and National Assembly, to Sejong during his term.”

Lee had criticized the Yongsan move during his campaign, calling it costly and poorly planned. Instead, he advocated for a broader decentralization of power, citing national balance and administrative efficiency.

No official announcement has been made regarding the presidential residence. With no permanent arrangement in place, Lee is likely to commute from his private residence or temporarily use the official residence in Hannam-dong until a more permanent location is selected.

In 2022, Yoon moved the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to the Ministry of National Defense compound in Yongsan, citing the need to break from past authoritarian symbolism, a legacy of its long history as a centralized seat of power under various regimes. Yoon initially commuted from his private home in southern Seoul before moving into the remodeled foreign minister’s residence in Hannam-dong later that year.

Lee’s plan to eventually shift the capital’s core institutions to Sejong aligns with long-standing proposals aimed at easing the concentration of power and population in the Seoul metropolitan area.