"Restricted areas have less security burden… Return possible within a month at the earliest"

As the Lee Jae-myung government has activated a task force (TF) for the return to the Blue House, Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Gun-young has predicted, "It will take about 1 to 3 months for the return to the Blue House."

He added that especially areas such as Yeomin-gwan and the Security Office, which are not open to the public, have less security burden, making early usage possible.

Lawmaker Yoon, who served as the head of the National Policy Planning Office under the Moon Jae-in government and is well-versed in the Blue House, appeared on MBC Radio's "Kim Jong-bae’s Focus" on the 10th and said, "The move into the Blue House can be adjusted based on several criteria, including whether it is open to the public and the condition of the facilities."

He continued, "While areas like the Main Building, the Guesthouse, and the Great Garden are open to the public and additional security measures need to be taken, Yeomin-gwan and the Security Office, as well as the underground bunker, have not been opened to the public, allowing for relatively quicker occupancy."

"Yeomin-gwan is seriously deteriorated… There are even reports of mice"

However, Yoon identified the aging condition of Yeomin-gwan as a major variable. He said, "Yeomin-gwan is an old building more than several decades old, and if it undergoes a safety inspection, it could receive a hazardous rating," adding, "The level of deterioration is so severe that there are even rumors of mice appearing."

Yeomin-gwan is a key building that was used as the President's working space, with the President's office located on the 3rd floor of Hall 1 and the Chief of Staff and Senior Secretary’s offices on the 2nd floor.

Yoon stated, "The timing of the return may be delayed depending on whether remodeling is needed, but since the President has declared a return within 100 days of taking office, it is highly unlikely that major renovations will be conducted."

"Some equipment was moved by the Yoon Seok-youl government from the underground bunker," claims

Yoon also mentioned the restoration issue concerning the National Crisis Management Center located in the underground bunker of the Blue House. He said, "The underground bunker is not open to the public, so there are no security issues; however, inspections are necessary for the facility's reactivation."

He added, "When former President Yoon Seok-youl suddenly moved the presidential office to Yongsan, the underground bunker facilities also became necessary, and there are claims that some of the underground facilities of the Blue House were dismantled and taken to Yongsan at that time," expressing concerns that it is crucial to accurately assess the current condition of the facilities. "Depending on the situation, it may be necessary to temporarily dualize the Crisis Management Center," he remarked.

Yoon pointed out, "It took about a year to establish the Blue House underground bunker, so it may take considerable time for all systems to return to their proper places."

Image source: Photo = Insight, Blue House / gettyimagesbank