The Blue House tour will be completely suspended starting August 1, as preparations are made for President Lee Jae-myung’s return to the office there.

The Blue House Foundation has announced that it will fully suspend general tours of the Blue House starting August 1. The foundation explained that this action is "for comprehensive security and safety inspections as well as facility maintenance."

It has been about 3 years and 2 months since public access was opened to civilians under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration on May 10, 2022, and this suspension can be seen as part of the preparatory work for President Lee Jae-myung’s return to the Blue House office.

The Lee Jae-myung administration plans to carry out facility renovations and security checks, aiming to return to the Blue House within this year.

The Blue House's residence was completed first on October 25, 1990, during President Roh Tae-woo’s administration, and the main building was completed on September 4, 1991, thus acquiring its current form.

Background for the return to the Blue House and budget allocation

President Lee Jae-myung has consistently expressed his intention to return to the Blue House since his candidacy for the presidential election.

Shortly after taking office, he began work at the Yongsan Presidential Office due to an early election schedule, but he has emphasized the symbolic and cultural value of the Blue House, repeatedly stating his desire to return.

In particular, he has mentioned that the Yongsan Presidential Office is "vulnerable in terms of security such as wiretapping and protection, and is surrounded by apartment complexes" as a key reason for his desire to return to the Blue House.

To this end, the Presidential Office approved a reserve budget of 25.9 billion won for the return to the Blue House during a Cabinet meeting last June. This amount is 11.9 billion won (69%) less than the 37.8 billion won reserve budget used for the relocation of the Presidential Office to Yongsan under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in 2022.

The government aims to complete related tasks by the end of this year and have the president return to the Blue House.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young also stated after establishing the Blue House Foundation as an affiliated organization, in a written response during a personnel hearing, that "efforts will be made to ensure a successful return of the presidential office."

Furthermore, he expressed the position that the Blue House will continue its role in engaging with the public and stated plans to explore how to utilize the cultural heritage of the Blue House, indicating that "we will review ways to continue research on the history and culture of the Blue House and its surrounding areas through consultations with relevant institutions."

Current status of Blue House tours and future plans

The Blue House has been open to the public since the last day of the Moon Jae-in administration on May 10, 2022, and recorded approximately 7.83 million visitors until June.

However, as the return of the president has become more visible, indoor tours were restricted starting July 16, with only external areas such as the guest house, front of the main building, the former guest house site, and the 녹지원 (Green Garden) remaining open. The number of visitors was also limited to 200 per session and a maximum of 2000 per day.

Starting August 1, general tours of all areas, including the main building and the residence, will be completely suspended.

The timeline for the resumption of public access to the Blue House is yet to be determined. The government is reportedly planning to assess whether to reopen even a part of the Blue House for tours after completing security checks and some facility renovations by the end of the year.

It remains uncertain whether the Blue House will once again be bustling with visitors after the general access has been suspended.

Image Source: News1, President Lee Jae-myung / Photo provided by the Presidential Office