Security tightens around Cheong Wa Dae as presidential office eyes return by year end

Tourists visit Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno District, Seoul, June 8. Public tours were suspended starting Aug. 1 under the Lee Jae Myung administration's plan to move the presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae. Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki

Police are stepping up security around Cheong Wa Dae as the government prepares to move the presidential office back to the compound by year's end.

According to local media reports on Sunday, Jongno Police Station is reviewing plans to restore 24-hour operations at nearby substations in preparation for the relocation.

Currently, the substations are operating with reduced staff and are open only from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. They are expected to return to a 24/7 schedule, with four rotating teams of five officers each to strengthen security.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's units responsible for on-site and perimeter security around Cheong Wa Dae are also said to be completing preparatory work.

These measures come as the Lee Jae Myung government prepares to relocate from the current presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District to Cheong Wa Dae within the next two months.

"Construction is underway with the goal of completing it by year-end," Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, said while speaking about the relocation during a National Assembly audit session Thursday.

However, moving the presidential residence back to the compound may not be feasible by then and could extend into the first half of next year, Kang said, citing ongoing construction and further security preparations.

Lee has said the presidential office should return to Cheong Wa Dae since his presidential campaign, citing its history, cultural significance and security advantages.

Under Lee's predecessor, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the office moved to a former defense ministry building in Yongsan District in 2022, and Cheong Wa Dae was opened to the public as a cultural site.

Public tours were suspended Aug. 1 as preparations began for Lee's return.

The reinstatement of Cheong Wa Dae security zones is expected to affect nearby roads and may complicate protest management, as no laws are currently in place to directly limit demonstrations near the presidential compound.

Protests within 100 meters of the presidential residence had long been banned, but the Constitutional Court struck down the restriction in December 2022, ruling that it excessively limited freedom of expression. Police said they are preparing alternative measures under existing laws to maintain security.