S. Korea Blue House opens to public for 1st time in 74 years | KTAB

SEOUL (AP) — For numerous South Koreans, the former presidential palace in Seoul was a very little-visited, seriously secured mountainside landmark. That’s now transformed as hundreds have been allowed a appear inside for the first time in 74 several years.

As just one of his initial acts, the new South Korean chief has moved the presidential places of work from the Blue Dwelling, named right after its distinct blue roof tiles, and opened its gates to the community, letting a maximum of 39,000 people a day to visit.

The typically serious compound has been transformed into anything like a reasonable, with enthusiastic crowds hunting close to and standing in extensive queues.

“I experience grateful that the Blue House has opened to the public,” 61-calendar year-old place of work worker Lee Sang Woon explained just lately all through a tour with his household. “I am truly pleased to be below.”

The Blue Property has gone via multiple transformations over the several years. Once the web site of a royal backyard, the Japanese designed the formal residence for their governors-typical there all through Tokyo’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. Right after Korea was liberated from Japan in 1945, the U.S. armed service commander occupied the area until it grew to become South Korea’s official presidential workplace and residence on the country’s foundation in 1948.

The Blue Household opening is portion of new South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s pledge to abandon the palace and set up his places of work at the Defense Ministry compound in the Yongsan district, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) absent.

Yoon mentioned he selected the Defense Ministry compound simply because it is currently outfitted with security-relevant command amenities. He stated he aims to construct one thing related to the White House in Washington that would let citizens have a closer look at the creating around a fence. Yoon claimed the new places of work will allow for better communication with the community.

His relocation programs, on the other hand, have confronted problems that they have been rushed and unrealistic. Critics say a hasty motion of prime govt places of work could undermine countrywide security by concentrating also a great deal power in one position, price tag as well substantially and violate the residence legal rights of men and women living in the area.

His predecessor, Moon Jae-in, also expressed anxieties that Yoon manufactured his choice in advance of hearing enough public impression.

When Moon took officein 2017, he also pledged to transfer out in a bid to length himself from his disgraced, jailed predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who grew up there as the daughter of a dictator. Moon ultimately abandoned his prepare, and Park was pardoned late final year.

Yoon, even so, began his to start with day earlier this month as president in Yongsan, and the ex-presidential workplace was opened to the community that very same day.

Choi Jun Chae, 60, who runs a mill at a standard current market in the vicinity of the Blue House, was sorry to see the presidential office environment leave his community but also hopeful that the relocation would improve neighborhood organizations by bringing in extra tourists.

“Under the (former President) Lee Myung-bak administration, there ended up a lot of protests … so it was seriously really hard to commute to this place. Cars and trucks couldn’t move, so I experienced to stroll,” Choi said.

Hundreds of individuals have collected near the Blue Household in the past for mass rallies and marches. Close by people said they suffered from noise and visitors congestion.

“I hope that protests minimize and a lot more people today stop by the spot,” Yoo Sung-jong, head of a preferred bakery in the community, said. “But (the president) was listed here for a extensive time, so it is a bit unhappy far too.”

Although some individuals in the new presidential neighborhood anticipate an improvement for the reason that of the new offices, there are also problems.

“As for website traffic issues, I can currently see far more men and women traveling to right here. It will be really crowded and difficult at first, but I consider it will slowly get much better,” stated Kim Jung-taek, a gallery proprietor in close proximity to the new presidential offices.