Cheong Wa Dae set to be restored as presidential office, ending 3 years in Yongsan

Cheong Wa Dae is seen from the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History in central Seoul, Monday, as the full-scale work to relocate the current presidential office in Yongsan District back to Cheong Wa Dae began earlier this month. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

The presidential office's Yongsan era, a brief and controversial chapter launched by the previous administration, is set to conclude after just three years and seven months. The government of President Lee Jae Myung, fulfilling a central campaign promise, began the official relocation back to the historic Cheong Wa Dae compound earlier this month, with the full move expected to be complete around Christmas Day.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik confirmed the timing on Sunday, stating that environmental and technology upgrades at Cheong Wa Dae had finished last month.

Soon after taking office in June, Lee allocated $17.6 million to finance the move. The relocation effort was driven by both symbolic and political motives. The incumbent president and the ruling Democratic Party (DPK) openly criticized the Yongsan complex as "politically toxic" by being linked to the previous leader's martial law declaration last December.

Logistical inefficiencies were also cited: major state events still required the president to commute to Cheong Wa Dae’s State Guest House, which remained the key ceremonial venue.

The Cheong Wa Dae compound, which served as the presidential office for over 70 years, will now house the Lee administration until the planned move to Sejong City — a transition that is years away and requires constitutional reform. The vacated Yongsan compound is reportedly slated to revert to the Ministry of National Defense headquarters.

Cheong Wa Dae is seen in this aerial photo taken Sunday, as the presidential office is set to return to the compound by the end of this year. Yonhap

Political experts said the return to Cheong Wa Dae effectively signals the end of the turmoil surrounding former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law crisis, while the public is unlikely to view the move as wasteful, given the strong disapproval of Yoon’s leadership that precipitated the relocation.

Despite the political benefit, some experts raised concerns that Cheong Wa Dae’s isolated design — where key decision-making spaces are secluded — could resurrect the “imperial presidency” that Yoon had sought to dismantle.

Meanwhile, the historic Cheong Wa Dae compound, opened to the public as a cultural site in the interim, drew over 8.52 million visitors before closing its doors in July to accommodate the government’s return.

Political commentator Lee Jong-keun said the public is unlikely to view the return as wasteful, given growing disapproval of Yoon’s leadership.

"If Yoon’s move to Yongsan had been convincing to the public, people wouldn’t so easily accept a return after just three years. But looking at Yoon's work habits and results over the past three years, I think the public will accept the move back to Cheong Wa Dae," Lee noted.

Eom Kyeong-young, director of the Zeitgeist Institute, said the move “will serve as a symbolic conclusion to the period of national turmoil,” referring to the martial law crisis. But he cautioned, “Cheong Wa Dae is physically structured around the characteristics of an imperial presidency. There is still a real risk of slipping back into that old, imperial atmosphere.”

Lee Jun-han, a political professor at Incheon National University, highlighted both sides of the debate.

“There was symbolic value in returning Cheong Wa Dae to the people. Yongsan ultimately proved unsuitable, as its security, diplomatic stature and working conditions fell short of international standards. Correcting that is necessary. Still, moving back to Cheong Wa Dae requires compensating for reduced openness and accessibility," Lee underscored.

Shin Yul, a political-science professor at Myongji University, expressed an even more skeptical view.

“I don’t think the symbolic significance of relocating the presidential office matters much anymore,” Shin said. “Yoon claimed he wanted a more open presidency, but the outcome was disastrous. In effect, he proved that the location of the presidential office is not what determines openness.”