Park Departs Blue House

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Former President Park Geun-hye departed from the presidential residence for the last time on Sunday evening, two days after the Constitutional Court announced its decision to uphold her impeachment. Park has returned to her private residence in the Gangnam district of Seoul to live once more after a little more than four years in office.

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Former President Park Geun-hye left Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday evening before finishing her term. She served in office for four years and 15 days. Prior to her departure, Park had teatime with her aides, including the presidential chief of staff, Han Kwang-ok. She reportedly said that she felt sorry she was unable to finish many good policies in the fields of economy, foreign diplomacy and welfare, and asked them to finish them on her behalf. Sources say Park sobbed while speaking to her aides, which made some of them tear up as well. Park also shook hands with each of some 500 security and secretarial staff members lined up in the Nokjiwon Garden of Cheong Wa Dae. At around 7:16 p.m. she left the presidential house in a black car escorted by police, and headed to her private residency. Park was welcomed in front of her house by former presidential chiefs of staff, such as Lee Won-jong, Lee Byung-ki and Heo Tae-yeol, as well as pro-Park lawmakers. The former president appeared upbeat and thanked them for their support, but some of the lawmakers said there were tears in her eyes as she was entering her house.