SEOUL, Dec 9, 2025 – The heavy iron gates of Cheong Wa Dae are opening once again to the head of state.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and his administration have officially begun the logistical process of relocating the presidential office and residence back to the historic Blue House. The move, confirmed by officials on Tuesday, marks a symbolic "restoration of order" and a definitive rejection of the turbulent era of his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol.
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| Lee had vowed to move both the presidential office and residence back to the Blue House if elected (ANTHONY WALLACE) |
1. Reversing the "Imperial" Experiment
For the past three years, the Blue House with its iconic 150,000 hand-painted blue roof tiles and backdrop of Mount Bugak had been reduced to a tourist attraction.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, upon taking office in 2022, famously abandoned the compound. He argued that the secluded palace fostered an "imperial" presidency disconnected from the people, opting instead to move his office to the Defense Ministry compound in Yongsan and his residence to a converted diplomatic villa.
However, President Lee Jae-myung, who swept to power in a snap election following Yoon’s ouster in April, views the return differently.
"Returning to the Blue House is not about returning to the past, but about restoring the dignity and stability of the executive branch that was scattered and diminished," a spokesperson for President Lee stated.
2. The Logistics of the Return
The transition began this Monday and is moving at a rapid pace.
The Office: Administrative staff and key aides are currently transferring sensitive documents and equipment. The aim is to have the President fully operational from the Blue House main building by Christmas.
The Residence: The President's move into the official on-site residence will take slightly longer. Security sweeps and renovations are required, as the building has been effectively uninhabited by a leader for nearly four years.
This move effectively ends the public tours that saw millions of visitors walk through the manicured gardens, returning the site to a high-security zone.
3. The "Curse" of the Blue House
The relocation has reignited public fascination with the "Curse of Cheong Wa Dae." For decades, South Korean folklore and geomancy experts (pungsu) have whispered that the site is cursed due to its location, citing the tragic ends of its occupants:
Park Chung-hee: Assassinated by his spy chief.
Park Geun-hye: Impeached and imprisoned.
Roh Moo-hyun: Died by suicide after leaving office.
It was an open secret that Yoon Suk Yeol’s refusal to live there was partly motivated by a desire to escape this bad fortune.
4. Irony Behind Bars
The grim irony, now dominating headlines in Seoul, is that fleeing the "cursed" location did nothing to save Yoon Suk Yeol.
Yoon’s presidency ended in catastrophe in April 2025, following a shocking and ill-fated attempt to impose martial law to bypass a gridlocked parliament. The move backfired, leading to his immediate impeachment and removal.
Today, while President Lee moves furniture back into the presidential palace, Yoon Suk Yeol sits in a detention center, facing criminal trial on charges of insurrection and abuse of power. The "curse," it seems, followed him to Yongsan.
Summary
By reclaiming the Blue House, President Lee is sending a powerful message of continuity. After the chaotic disruption of martial law and the displacement of the executive office, the sight of the South Korean flag flying once again over the Blue House tiles signals to the nation and the world that the government is back where it belongs.