A cultural space should be established in Cheong Wa Dae after it is opened to the public

SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) — Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea’s presidential office surrounded by a vast green area in the heart of Seoul, is set to be transformed into a space for various cultural events with a public park under the president’s next government, officials from the power transition team said Thursday. Elected Yoon Seok Yeol.

Officials said the committee plans to turn Cheong Wa Dae into a space for K-pop performances, traditional music, and many other cultural events.

Yoon pledged to move the presidential office to Yongsan in central Seoul and return Cheong Wa Dae to the people after his inauguration on May 10.

Cheong Wa Dae is located at the foot of Mount Bukak, behind Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and has housed the office and residence of the President of the Republic for the past 74 years after its foundation. South Korean government in 1948. The 250,000-square-meter complex is 3.4 times the size of the White House.

“Cheong Wa Dae will be completely open to the public and will be renewed after Yun’s inauguration,” said a member of the transition committee. “In particular, the space will be used for cultural events, such as joint K-pop concerts and Korean traditional music,” the official said.

The transition committee plans to convert open spaces in Cheong Wa Dae into venues for concerts, exhibitions and people’s physical activities, among other things, according to officials.

It also plans to develop walking paths for the public in and around Cheong Wa Dae while retaining buildings and equipment.

They added that consideration will be given to constructing a contemporary history hall, displaying the experiences of former presidents, and a historical and cultural space under the theme of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul.

The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) recently told the transition committee that opening Cheong Wa Dae to the public is expected to have an economic impact of at least 200 billion won ($165 million) annually.