South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol was elected to address high house prices in Seoul.

But first he takes on a real estate problem of a very special kind.

Yoon has decided that he wants to move the presidential office in Seoul from the Blue House to the Defense Ministry building.

He hopes that the move will bring him closer to the people, with which he wants to escape the “symbol of imperialism” of the previous presidents.

Everything should be ready by May 10, the day he takes office.

A spokeswoman said there was zero chance that Yoon would move into the Blue House.

Patrick Welter

Correspondent for business and politics in Japan based in Tokyo.

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His predecessor Moon Jae-in, who is still in office, opposes this.

A sudden, unprepared move by the Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Blue House Crisis Center could create a security vacuum and confusion, a spokesman for Moon said.

Because the security crisis on the Korean peninsula is escalating, now is the time to unite the security forces.

Cost of 37 million euros

The government that is still in office was referring to the missile tests that North Korea has resumed for weeks.

On April 15, North Korea celebrates the 110th birthday of state founder Kim Il-sung.

The regime in Pyongyang could seize the opportunity for a military provocation.

Regular voters are also questioning whether a relocation of the presidential office makes sense at a time when it is still unclear whether the omicron wave in South Korea has already peaked.

On Thursday, the country with its approximately 51 million inhabitants reported a record number of more than 620,000 new infections.

On Monday, the authorities provisionally counted around 270,000 cases of infection.

Behind the dispute over the move is a simmering conflict between Moon and Yoon over a possible pardon for former Conservative President Lee Myung-bak, who has been convicted of corruption.

The incumbent president still has the better cards when it comes to moving.

The move is expected to cost about 49.6 billion won ($40 million), other estimates are significantly higher.

Moon has to approve the money.

The move of the Office of the President to the Ministry of Defense means that the Ministry will move to the General Staff building on the same site.

The general staff would go elsewhere.

The chief of staff would probably also have to move out of his nearby residence to make room for Yoon – and all of this as soon as possible to have enough time to renovate the premises.

Ironically, Moon had a similar relocation plan five years ago when he took office.

At the time, he promised the Koreans to move the presidential office from the Blue House to nearby Gwanghwamun Square, where the Foreign Ministry and a central government building are located.

Moon also wanted to move closer to the people after the Blue House had fallen into disrepute through the machinations of ousted President Park Geun-hye.

After a year and a half, however, Moon gave up the plan because of cost and practicality considerations.

During the election campaign, Yoon had promised to move to Gwanghwamun, but at the weekend decided in favor of the well-secured Ministry of Defense in the Yongsan district, which has the necessary security infrastructure.

The Blue House is located in Seoul at the foot of the mountains behind the old Gyeongbok Palace.

The spacious park area with buildings in traditional Korean style housed palaces in earlier centuries.

It has been the seat of the presidents since the end of the Second World War.

Since 1960 the complex has been called the Blue House after the blue roof tiles of the main building.

Yoon wants to open the facility to the public.