Cheong Wa Dae will be fully opened to the public from May 10 at noon. The photo shows the main office building of the presidential compound. (Jeon Han)
By Jung Joo-ri and Yoon Sojung
Cheong Wa Dae from May 10 will be fully opened to the public.
Rep. Yoon Han-hong, a member of the People Power Party and the head of a task force on the relocation of the presidential office, on April 25 told a news conference that the 20th presidential transition committee “decided to completely open the door of Cheong Wa Dae after the inauguration ceremony on May 10 at noon.”
“Cheong Wa Dae, which has the main office building, Yeongbingwan (state guesthouse), the best garden of Nokjiwon and Sangchunjae (traditional Korean-style building for hosting foreign guests and unofficial gatherings), will be reborn as an open venue to be enjoyed by the people.”
Cheong Wa Dae will be opened daily from May 10-22 with no break. A two-hour tour will be available six times a day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with up to 6,500 visitors permissible at one time and 39,000 per day. Separate admissions will go to senior citizens aged 65 or over, disabled people or those in group tours early in the opening period.
Reservations for visits can be made from April 27 at 10 a.m. via the messaging app Kakao Talk, web portal Naver or financial app Toss. People can also book for those who do not use smart devices or users of regular phones.
On the opening period’s last day of May 22, Cheong Wa Dae will receive reservations through another application system whose details will be released later.
Rep. Yoon said, “We plan to let anyone visit Cheong Wa Dae without a reservation in the future.”
On May 10 from 7 p.m., the restricted rear area of Bugaksan Mountain will be opened. Visitors can visit Daetongmun Gate and Baegakjeong Pavilion, both of which used to be closed due to guard and security issues, and connect to the path toward the fortress surrounding Seoul to complete the hiking trail on the mountain. The course can begin at either the east or west side of Cheong Wa Dae without reservations or limits on the number of people.
The task force said it decided on a reservation system considering potential issues in inconvenience and safety caused by many visitors, especially in the early days of the opening. After May 23, the admission scale and management methods can be adjusted based on public interest and crowd levels, it added.
During the 13-day opening period, events under the theme “Cheong Wa Dae: Back to the People” are slated in and around the Cheong Wa Dae compound, Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bugaksan Mountain. Other events will be held in select places nationwide including the Presidential Archives in Sejong, Cheongnamdae in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, and the Cheong Wa Dae film set in Hapcheon-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province.
Since Aug. 15, 1941, Cheong Wa Dae has been used as the official residence and administrative office of the president for 74 years with the establishment of the government of the Republic of Korea. The opening of the site was a pledge made by President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol during his election campaign.
etoilejr@korea.kr
