Office relocation debate

[Anchor]

This is the segment where we compare and verify presidential election promises.

Today (May 6), we will discuss the issue of the presidential office's location.

All presidential candidates have stated that they will eventually move to Sejong, but their thoughts on the specific methods and timing differ.

Reporter Park Jin-soo has the details.

[Report]

The Yongsan presidential office is a symbol of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

Due to the aftermath of the martial law and impeachment, the presidential candidates promised to relocate the office.

Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung stated that he would start his duties in Yongsan and then move into the Blue House after its restoration.

[Lee Jae-myung/Democratic Party presidential candidate/Apr. 18: "I don't know if it's possible, but if we completely move to Sejong, building there might be the final destination. It won't be easy, though."]

People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo also said he would initially go to Yongsan, but acknowledged that moving to Sejong is the right direction.

[Kim Moon-soo/People Power Party presidential candidate/Apr. 1: "I believe it is very appropriate and right for the president to be able to work with public officials at any time."]

Independent candidate Han Duck-soo stated that not only the presidential office but all major institutions should move to Sejong.

[Han Duck-soo/Independent presidential candidate/Apr. 3: "We need to relocate through constitutional amendments. The presidential office, as well as the legislative and judicial branches, should all go."]

Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok also mentioned the move to Sejong.

[Lee Jun-seok/Reform Party presidential candidate/Apr. 21: "I want to express the will of the Reform Party to complete Sejong City."]

However, there are many hurdles to moving to Sejong.

First, there are legal issues.

The Constitutional Court has ruled that, according to customary constitutional law, the capital of our country is Seoul.

[Jang Young-soo/Professor at Korea University Law School: "The place where the presidential office or the National Assembly is located is the capital. To clearly state that Sejong is the capital instead of Seoul, it would need to be changed through a constitutional amendment."]

We also need to determine which government departments will move, and we must consider the enormous costs and time involved in the relocation.

The Yongsan presidential office utilized the existing Ministry of National Defense building, yet it still incurred costs exceeding 80 billion won.

[Woo Byeong-deuk/KBS Election Pledge Verification Advisory Group/Professor at Incheon University: "It is not just a matter of moving the presidential office or the National Assembly independently; we can expect that foreign embassies, media companies, and some businesses will also actively promote the move to Sejong."]

The issue of moving to Sejong coexists with expectations of alleviating concentration in the metropolitan area and promoting balanced regional development, as well as concerns that the effects on population influx and regional economic growth may not be significant.

In a recent KBS opinion poll, the majority of respondents from both the metropolitan area and the Chungcheong region indicated that the Blue House is the most suitable location for the presidential office.

This is KBS News, Park Jin-soo.