Historic Blue House left ruined

[Anchor]

The forbidden sanctuary, the heart of power, were once how the Blue House was described.

What does the Blue House look like now, after being opened to the public following the relocation of the presidential office to Yongsan?

Signs of poor management are evident everywhere.

Reporter Bae Ji-hyun visited the site herself.

[Report]

This drum, played by former President Roh Tae-woo.

It is called 'Yonggo,' a Korean barrel drum, made by intangible cultural asset No. 12, Kim Kwan-sik, to coincide with the opening of the Blue House's Chunchugwan in the 1990s.

It is a drum that the public is familiar with as it often appeared in the backgrounds of media journalists.

What does it look like now?

When I visited, it was left torn and in a state of disrepair.

I looked around other areas as well.

This is the helicopter pad at the entrance of the Blue House, now used for interactive experiences and performances.

When I scanned the QR code for a VR experience.

["The app is not available on this device...."]

It does not work.

Even deeper inside, the situation is no different.

The wooden pillars inside the main building are scratched in many places, and the stones laid in front of the guesthouse are broken and just stepping on them makes them wobble.

Is there a problem with the management of the Blue House?

Since the Blue House opened to the public in May 2022, the management authority has constantly changed between the Cultural Heritage Administration and the Ministry of Culture.

Ultimately, the Blue House Foundation was established under the Ministry of Culture at the end of 2023, but this time, there were issues with the service company.

The service company has been embroiled in controversies over wage arrears and unfair dismissals.

[Kim Seong-ho/Chairman of the Blue House Labor Union: "I sent a complaint to the Ministry of Labor requesting a labor inspection, and that’s how I found out about the (underpayment of wages). All the other employees, except for me who raised the issue, had their employment transferred...."]

The Blue House Foundation stated that the torn Yonggo is "currently undergoing repair work after securing a budget in March."

They also clarified that the controversy over unfair dismissals by the service company is "not related to the foundation."

This is KBS News, Bae Ji-hyun.