[WORD_ON_THE_WEB] 'He’s all talk and no action'

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol has announced his plan to move the presidential office to the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

Yoon explained that “although it was a tough decision to make, it is the best one for the nation’s future” and “it’s not a mere change of space, it’s an expression of determination to work hard and keep the promise to the people.”

As for the original plan, which was to move to Gwanghwamun, he said it would bring catastrophic results to the public upon reviewing it after being elected. Among the reasons are the difficulty of relocating government agencies and the inconvenience to the public due to security measures.

On the other hand, Yoon emphasized that the Ministry of National Defense and the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff buildings in Yongsan are already equipped with essential facilties.

He claimed that this makes it easier to "return" the Blue House to the people, and limits inconvenience for the public.

According to Yoon, the Blue House will be open to the public when his term starts on May 10.

#what's_the_point?
“Give me one reason that you can’t communicate with the people from the Blue House. If the place is too grand, you can scale it down. If you want communication, you can always hold press conferences.”
“He should give us a good reason why this is relevant to the nation's future.”

#no_more_isolated_presidency
“The Blue House is unfit for receiving reports, as it takes longer for them to reach the president. The place makes for an isolated presidency. It’s time for a change.”
“I was opposed to the move before the press conference, but now I’m with Yoon. It seemed he set his mind to be a president who communicates with his people, shedding the authoritarian approach. Also, if we turn the Blue House into a tourist attraction, it will help promote national interest.”

#burdening_the_taxpayers
“Don’t waste the blood and sweat of the taxpayers. Use that money to help small business owners and wildfire victims.”
“He’s all talk and no action about helping people. Use the money to subsidize the self-employed.”

BY LEE SI-YEOUNG, YOO JI-WOO [yoo.jiwoo@joongang.co.kr]