Blue House to be opened to public on May 10

Politics

Published: 25 Apr. 2022, 18:55

Blue House to be opened to public on May 10

Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the main opposition People Power Party, who leads a taskforce overseeing President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's plan to relocate the presidential office, explains plans to open the Blue House for public tours during a press briefing Monday in Jongno District, central Seoul. [YONHAP]

Up to 39,000 people a day will be allowed to tour the Blue House compound in Jongno District, central Seoul after President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is sworn into office on May 10.

Yoon’s transition team told reporters in a press conference Monday that unlike current Blue House tours, tours under the Yoon administration will be without a guide, basically allowing visitors to roam around permitted areas for two hours.

While current tours handle 1,500 visitors a day, the new tours will be open to 39,000, the transition team added.

The tours are a part of Yoon’s election pledge to “return the Blue House to the public.” The conservative president-elect has been adamant about not moving into the Blue House, calling it a symbol of “imperialistic” power.

Immediately after he was elected last month, Yoon said he would bring the presidential office closer to the people by relocating it to Yongsan and then open up the Blue House compound as a park or museum.

Areas within the Blue House compound that will be open to the public next month include the Main Office Building, where former presidents worked; Yeongbin-gwan, also known as the State Guest House, where large meetings and official events involving foreign guests were hosted; Nokjiwon, also known as the Green Grass Garden, where some 120 different tree species can be found on a sprawling area of 3,300 square meters (0.8 acre) and where outdoor events were held; and Sangchunjae, a Korean-style hanok structure used for hosting foreign guests and unofficial meetings.

Visitors, however, will not be able to enter the buildings due to unresolved security issues. The transition team Monday said it was working toward a full public opening, though confidential documents and telecommunications systems would have to be removed before then.

Anyone can apply for the free tours from Wednesday 10 a.m. via www.opencheongwadae.kr, Naver, KakaoTalk or Toss. Group tour applications for senior citizens and people with disabilities will be separately received.

Only chosen applicants may participate in the tours. Four slots will be offered from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 10, starting immediately after Yoon’s inauguration ceremony ends. From May 11 to 22, six time slots will be offered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Rep. Yoon Han-hong of the main opposition People Power Party, who leads a taskforce within Yoon’s transition team that oversees Yoon’s plan to relocate the presidential office, said specifics for Blue House tours after May 22 will be discussed upon seeing how the public responds to the tours from May 10 to 22.

Night tours could be considered, Rep. Yoon said.

On a related note, the hiking course behind the Blue House on Mount Bukak, which had largely been closed to the public after North Korean commandos infiltrated the area in 1968 on an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate then-President Park Chung Hee, will be fully open to the public from May 10.

No prior applications will be required and the number of hikers will not be limited, said Rep. Yoon.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]