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Lee begins work at Blue House after presidential office relocation

Published: 29 Dec. 2025, 11:35 Updated: 29 Dec. 2025, 12:28

The Blue House is seen in central Seoul on Dec. 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung made his first commute to work at the Blue House on Monday, following the formal relocation of the presidential office to the historic compound about seven months after he took office.

A motorcade escorting Lee's vehicle passed through the front gate of the main building at around 9:10 a.m. as dozens of his supporters waved the national flag and shouted his name near the entrance to the compound.

At the Blue House, Lee met with his aides over tea, including National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and Kim Yong-beom, presidential director of national policy, and other senior officials.

He was also scheduled to visit the National Crisis Management Center inside the complex to review military readiness, his office said.

Lee wore the same red-and-blue striped necktie from his inauguration on June 4. The tie featured red, blue and white stripes — colors commonly associated with the main opposition People Power Party in red, the Democratic Party in blue and the political center in white.

President Lee Jae Myung looks at documents during a meeting at the Blue House in central Seoul on Dec. 29. [NEWS1]

At midnight, a presidential flag bearing two phoenixes was raised, formally restoring the name Blue House.

Lee's main office will be in the Yeomin Building complex, about 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the main building that houses senior aides and staff, which is expected to help promote closer communication with officials.

The Blue House complex includes the main office building, the Yeomin building for staff, Yeongbingwan State Guest House, Chunchugwan Press Center and the presidential residence.

The phoenix flag and the Korean flag flutter in the wind in front of the Blue House’s main building in central Seoul on Dec. 29. [YONHAP]

Former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak temporarily used Yeomin 1 Building as a workspace, and Moon Jae-in worked on its third floor throughout his term. Lee also plans to use the main Blue House office only for events such as summit meetings, his aides said.

The iconic main building with its blue roof will mainly be used for formal events, such as summits and credential ceremonies.

With the official residence still undergoing renovation to fix damage from when the complex was opened to the public under the previous administration, Lee will continue commuting from his current residence in Hannam-dong for the time being, according to his office.

President Lee Jae Myung, center, attends a meeting at the Blue House in central Seoul on Dec. 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Lee's predecessor, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, had moved the office to the defense ministry compound in Seoul's Yongsan District when he took office in 2022.

On Sunday, the Presidential Security Service said it had completed joint security inspections with 14 agencies, including the National Intelligence Service, the police and the military.

The checks covered key facilities at Blue House and nearby mountains, focusing on wiretapping risks and information and communications systems.

BY CHO MUN-GYU, YONHAP [[email protected]]