Yongsan office leaves lesson in leadership failure

It was a quiet morning Wednesday at the administrative information center near the entrance to the Yongsan presidential office. Until last year, when former President Yoon Suk Yeol was still in office, the area had often been bustling with visitors waiting to receive passes for meetings and events. Following his impeachment, the phoenix flag above the main gate was taken down, and the electronic screen that once displayed images of his activities was switched off. The banner reading “Again, Republic of Korea! A New Nation for the People,” still hanging in front of the building, now feels hollow.

With leading presidential candidates expressing reluctance to use the Yongsan office if elected, the so-called “Yongsan era” has effectively ended after just three years. Security concerns have also been raised, with the facility considered vulnerable to eavesdropping. In addition, the office’s location—surrounded by military facilities—has been cited as a possible factor in the recent martial law crisis.

Inside and outside the presidential office, staff have lamented the situation. Some have returned to their political parties or joined election campaigns. Others, with little work to do, reportedly walk as many as 30,000 steps a day around the compound.

Just three years ago, Yoon launched the “Yongsan era,” pledging to leave behind Cheong Wa Dae—a symbol of the imperial presidency—and work closely with the nation’s brightest minds. He opened the former presidential compound to the public and proposed roundtable-style communication with senior aides working on the same floor. He also promised regular “doorstepping” sessions to engage directly with the press.

But those initial pledges ultimately fell through. The decision to relocate the presidential office was controversial, with critics viewing the communication pledge as superficial and tied to Yoon and his wife’s belief in shamanism. He declared a state of emergency without consulting aides, relying instead on a small circle of high school alumni. The doorstepping sessions—initially a symbol of transparency—were scrapped after 61 rounds when Yoon began receiving uncomfortable questions. Instead of fostering dialogue, the Yongsan office became a symbol of unilateral leadership.

The relocation has also drawn criticism as a waste of taxpayer money. In March 2022, as president-elect, Yoon requested a reserve fund of 49.6 billion won for the move, dismissing claims that it would cost between 500 billion won and 1 trillion won as groundless. But as of last year, the National Assembly Budget Office reported actual spending had already reached 83.2 billion won. Including the cost of relocating the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the total is believed to have reached several hundred billion won.

Most presidential candidates now propose either returning to Cheong Wa Dae or moving the office to Sejong. But changing the location with each new administration only leads to confusion and wasted public funds. Relocation should be based not on personal preference but on long-term party plans and public consensus through a formal review process. The Yoon administration offers a clear lesson: Simply changing the location of the presidential office does not guarantee a successful presidency. The next president, if choosing not to use Yongsan, should first operate out of Cheong Wa Dae or the Government Complex Seoul and make a well-considered decision on the office’s future location.