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Blue House relocation framed as shift toward better public accessibility, communication

Published: 21 Dec. 2025, 19:39 Updated: 22 Dec. 2025, 12:37

The Blue House is seen in central Seoul on Dec. 12. [NEWS1]

The presidential office is returning to the Blue House for the first time in nearly four years, as President Lee Jae Myung ends the Yongsan era and repositions the previous presidential complex as a more accessible and communicative seat of power.

The relocation will be completed by the end of December, according to the presidential office on Sunday. Some senior aides are already working from the Blue House.

The Ministry of National Defense and its subordinate units, which had to relocate as a result of the presidential office’s move, are also expected to return to their original locations. The presidential office currently operates out of the Defense Ministry building in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

The Blue House consists of the Main Office, which houses the president’s office and reception rooms; the Yeomin Building, made up of Buildings 1 through 3 and used by senior aides; the state reception house for hosting foreign dignitaries and official events; and the Chunchu Building, which contains the press center and the presidential residence.

While the Main Office remains the president’s official workplace, Lee is expected to conduct most day-to-day duties from the Yeomin Building to stay in closer contact with senior aides, including the chief of staff, the presidential director of national policy and the national security adviser. A presidential aide said the Main Office will likely be used only for formal events, such as summits and ceremonies.

This arrangement mirrors that of former President Moon Jae-in, who spent much of his later term working from the Yeomin Building. The Main Office and Yeomin Building are roughly 500 meters (1,640 feet) apart, a distance that has long been cited as a structural obstacle to efficient communication between presidents and their staff.

Staff at the presidential office in central Seoul, move items scheduled for relocation to the Blue House on Dec. 9. [NEWS1]

The presidential office is not relocating the president's residence as part of the current move.

"The residence is still under renovation,” a presidential office spokesperson said. “We plan to move sometime next year, but the exact date has not been decided."

For now, President Lee will commute from the current residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul.

The return to the Blue House also reignites longstanding criticism that the presidential compound fosters isolation from the public. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol made relocating the office to Yongsan a central promise of his administration, arguing that the Blue House represented an outdated and isolated model of leadership.

Reporters check their equipment in the briefing room at Chunchugwan in the Blue House on Dec. 21. [NEWS1]

“Space shapes consciousness,” Yoon said in March 2022 while announcing the move.

Moon, too, once proposed relocating the presidential office to Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, but never followed through.

The Lee administration says it aims to break with the Blue House’s legacy as a symbol of imperial-style leadership.

As part of that effort, the presidential security service said it would no longer conduct ID checks or searches on civilians using the five main access roads to the complex, unless there is a security emergency. During the Moon administration, it was common for pedestrians and drivers headed toward the Blue House to be questioned.

Other features from the Yongsan era will continue, including the autonomous shuttle bus route that connects Gyeongbokgung Station, the Blue House and the National Folk Museum of Korea. The route was part of Seoul’s smart mobility initiative to connect key historic and cultural sites in central Seoul. While not exclusively for Blue House tours, it improved access to the complex and nearby landmarks for tourists.

The Gwanghwamun Square is seen in central Seoul on Dec. 14. [YONHAP]

Public tours of the Blue House grounds have now been suspended, but the presidential office is considering allowing limited access to specific facilities.

Previously, some visitors were allowed to enter through the Chunchu Building and tour designated areas. However, pedestrians will no longer be allowed to walk along the sidewalk that runs directly adjacent to the outer Blue House wall.

The Lee administration also plans to expand public communication as part of the relocation.

"After the move to the Blue House, we plan to expand online livestreaming of the president’s schedule," Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff, said during a news conference on Dec. 7.

A person walks in front of the Blue House in central Seoul on Dec. 21. [NEWS1]

The presidential office will also relocate the “open studio,” which it established at the Yongsan compound in October, to the Blue House and continue operating it there. The studio is designed to support content production by the press corps and enhance policy communication.

Once Lee’s relocation to the Blue House is complete, the presidential office plans to hold a public event to formally announce the return.

Lee is expected to outline specific measures to increase communication and transparency with the public during the ceremony.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY YOON SUNG-MIN, OH SO-YEONG [[email protected]]