South Korea's President Lee Returns to Historic Cheong Wa Dae Office

A motorcade escorting Lee's vehicle passed through the front gate of the main building at around 9:10 a.m. as dozens of his supporters waved the national flag and shouted his name near the entrance to the compound, Yonhap news agency reported.

At Cheong Wa Dae, Lee met with his aides over tea, including National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief for policy, and other senior officials.

He was also scheduled to visit the National Crisis Management Center inside the complex to review military readiness, his office said.

At midnight, a presidential flag bearing two phoenixes was raised, formally restoring the name Cheong Wa Dae.

Lee's main office will be in the Yeomin Building complex, about 500 meters from the main building that houses senior aides and staff, which is expected to help promote closer communication with officials.

The iconic main building with its blue roof will mainly be used for formal events, such as summits and credential ceremonies.

With the official residence still undergoing renovation to fix damage from when the complex was opened to the public under the previous administration, Lee will continue commuting from his current residence in Hannam-dong for the time being, according to his office.

Lee's predecessor, former ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, had moved the office to the defense ministry compound in Seoul's Yongsan district when he took office in 2022.

On Sunday, the Presidential Security Service said it had completed joint security inspections with 14 agencies, including the National Intelligence Service, the police and the military.

The checks covered key facilities at Cheong Wa Dae and nearby mountains, focusing on wiretapping risks and information and communications systems.

- IANS