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Presidential office to formally return to Blue House at midnight Sunday

Published: 28 Dec. 2025, 14:29 Updated: 29 Dec. 2025, 10:46

President Lee Jae Myung walks into the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, for the last time on Dec. 26, as the presidential office will move back to the Blue House starting Dec. 29. [NEWS1]

The Blue House era will officially resume at midnight on Sunday, about three years and seven months after the presidential office was relocated to Yongsan by the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration in May 2022.

President Lee Jae Myung will report to work at the Blue House for the first time on Monday, according to the presidential office. On Sunday midnight, the presidential phoenix emblem, previously hoisted at the Yongsan compound, will be raised at the Blue House.

The official name of the presidential office will revert to “Blue House,” and the emblem will also return to its former design.

The Blue House consists of several main facilities: the Main Office, where the president works; Yeomingwan, which houses presidential aides; Yeongbingwan, used for major domestic and foreign events; Chunchugwan, home to the press room; and the presidential residence.

Lee will work out of Yeomingwan Building 1, which he will share with the heads of the three key offices — the chief of staff, the policy office head and the national security advisor. The decision aims to improve communication with his closest aides, dispel concerns about a so-called imperial presidency and boost administrative efficiency.

Former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak both used temporary offices in Yeomingwan Building 1, about 500 meters from the Main Office. Former President Moon Jae-in also worked out of the third floor of Yeomingwan Building 1 immediately after taking office.

“When we visited the White House for the Korea-U.S. summit, the president and aides were positioned in close proximity to one another," the presidential chief of staff said in a YouTube broadcast by the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation on Saturday. “We’re trying to create a similar structure, with the president on the third floor, the three senior secretaries on the second, and senior aides on the first — so decisions can be made quickly, and staff can respond immediately when called.”

During the Moon Jae-in administration, the three senior secretaries worked separately in Yeomin Buildings 1 through 3.

Lee plans to use the Main Office only for official events such as summits.

The Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, is seen on Dec. 21. [NEWS1]

As Lee has pledged to establish a new presidential office and residence in Sejong by 2030, the scene of packing up the Blue House may soon be repeated.

“I may end my presidency in Sejong,” Lee has previously said.

“We have conducted inspections to eliminate potential threats that could arise from the full public opening of the Blue House over the past three years and to establish the highest level of security and protection as a presidential workplace,” the Presidential Security Service (PSS) said in a press release.

Between Monday and Friday, the PSS conducted joint inspections with 13 relevant agencies of key buildings and facilities at the Blue House, as well as the mountainous areas on the grounds. The inspections covered safety, security, chemical and biological threats, sanitation, fire safety and hazardous materials detection.

President Lee plans to preside over a morning meeting on Monday with senior secretaries and aides on his first day working from the Blue House.

The presidential office reportedly considered holding a public event to mark the renewed beginning of the so-called “Blue House era,” but Lee reportedly decided against it.

He has not yet moved into the presidential residence within the Blue House compound. Officials said he plans to do so in the first half of next year after completing additional security-related construction.

Until then, Lee will commute from the official residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District.

Updated, Dec. 28: Added Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik's comments on the return to the Blue House.

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 CHO MUN-GYU, YOON SUNG-MIN [[email protected]]