Why is the new South Korean prez moving out of the old presidential palace?

The new South Korean president wants to prioritise relations with the US and China may not like it

Why do some Eastern heads of state and government decide to shift out to new premises? India has seen three such shifts since 1947, and a fourth one is in the offing.

But now comes the news that the new Korean president. Mr Yoon Suk-Yeol, who took office today, is also going to do the same thing. He is moving out of the traditional presidential house and office.

The Blue House, as they call it, has been the official residence and office of the president since 1948.

Breaking that tradition, and in a manner that is reminiscent of our own prime minister, he is shifting the Presidential office from the Blue House to, of all places, the defence ministry compound. No convincing reasons have been given yet.

Not just this. He is also moving his residence, like Arvind Kejriwal, to an upper middle class residential area which is going to cause huge inconvenience to the residents. (The Indian embassy is also located there along with other diplomatic missions).

This relocation of office and home is going to cost the exchequer close to $40 million. So, there have been hundreds of thousands of public petitions criticising him for wasting taxpayers’ money. Mr Yoon is undeterred. The reason for the shift, he says, is because he wishes to be amongst the people for better communication with them.

That, however, may not be the only reason. There are rumours that according to ‘Pungsu’, or Feng shui, the location of the Blue House does not augur well for its occupants, as was seen from the record of the last few Presidents staying there.

One has been impeached. One is being prosecuted for corruption. One was sent to prison on charges of authorising a massacre of protesting civilians. And one committed suicide.

On a more serious note, his ascension marks the beginning of a conservative government. Like Donald Trump, Mr Yoon, too, has never held a government post before. He is a law graduate from Seoul National University and later became a prosecutor.

He won the presidential election by a very narrow margin and, until 2024, has to function in a National Assembly in which the Opposition holds a majority. This is going to test his skills in pushing forward his legislative agenda.

Korea’s policies, as far as I can see, are determined by two main things. One is economic where, largely being a trading and export-oriented economy, its trade relations with its major partners like China become important. China isn’t easy to deal with, as his predecessor discovered.

The second is on the security front where, because of its belligerent and unpredictable Northern partner which, until now, did not seem to pose a direct threat, has now become a cause for considerable concern. North Korea continues to test its missiles and nuclear weapons leaving Koreans wondering but not worrying.

Unlike President Moon, the outgoing President had tried balancing his relations with the US and China, tilting more towards the latter. But Mr Yoon, as a conservative party leader, has made it clear that he would prioritise his strategic alliance relations with the US. This is bound to be a red rag to China which sees itself as the local big chief. It will be interesting to see how Mr Yoon handles the fallout now.

But all this is par for the course for South Korean officials. Over the last 70 years, they have learnt to deal with foreign policy challenges. But it is the fixed single term of five years for presidents that they have yet to come to grips with, not least because their National Assembly has a four year term.