Tag: Seoul

It is official now that the Presidential office is moving to Yongsan:

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Sunday announced a decision to move the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to what is now the defense ministry building several kilometers away, saying he wants his office to move out of a “symbol of imperial” presidency and get closer to the people.

The decision is highly symbolic as Cheong Wa Dae has been used for decades as the presidential office and residence, though its secluded location and the way the president’s work office is located away from those of aides sparked criticism it causes the president to be out of touch with the public.

Yoon said he will move into the defense ministry compound in Seoul’s central district of Yongsan immediately after his inauguration on May 10. On the same day, Cheong Wa Dae will be fully opened to the public, he said.

The defense ministry will move into the Joint Chiefs of Staff building in the compound, he said.

Yonhap

There is going to be some offices dislocated from the Defense Ministry that has the Democrat Party lodging complaints about national security:

Yoon admitted that some of the current occupants, including the defense ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will have to make partial relocations to make room for the presidential office.

He dismissed the notion that moving their offices will create gaps in national defense, a charge that has been leveled by some lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party. Yoon belongs to the main opposition People Power Party.

I find it interesting now that the Democratic Party is now concerned about national security after years of advocating for appeasement of North Korea.

It also appears the closure of Yongsan Garrison also played into this decision:

Above all, he stressed the advantages of its proximity to a planned national park.

“Starting this year, the (land of the) surrounding U.S. military base is expected to be returned in stages, which will allow us to swiftly construct Yongsan Park, use the defense ministry building as an office and commune and communicate with the people,” Yoon said.

You can read more at the link, but this move does now make it more likely Yongsan will be turned into a park instead of just more apartment towers.

Showing the colors of the Ukrainian flag is now the international version of virtue signaling:

 Iconic landmarks across Seoul were lit up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag Sunday in support of the Eastern European nation under siege amid the Russian assault.

N Seoul Tower on Mount Namsan, Seoul City Hall, Sebitseom on the Han River and Seoullo Media Canvas glowed blue and yellow Sunday evening.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Hopefully no one in the U.S. military had any travel plans to Seoul anytime soon:

The military command responsible for U.S. troops in South Korea has temporarily restricted troops from traveling to 41 districts following a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.

The updated travel guidelines announced by U.S. Forces Korea on Wednesday reflect a recent increase in coronavirus cases around the country, according to a post on the USFK official Facebook page. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday reported 3,271 new cases, a new daily record in the country.

The surge comes days after Chuseok, the nation’s harvest holiday. South Korean health officials previously said they expected a dramatic increase in cases and warned residents to limit their travel plans during the three-day holiday Sept. 20 to 22. Nearly 33 million people traveled during the holiday week, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

USFK has divided the country into roughly 230 districts to reflect changing rates of coronavirus infection. USFK service members, civilian employees, family members and contractors are prohibited from traveling to districts with 50 or more confirmed COVID-19 patients per 100,000 people over a seven-day period. The command updates its district guidelines every week.

Stars & Stripes

You can read more at the link, but the article states that 80% of Seoul is off limits due to the COVID surge.

Interesting read for ROK Drop favorite Robert Neff about the liberation of Seoul at the end of World War II:

On Sept. 8, 1945, American soldiers began arriving in Incheon. Everett Shipley informed his parents in a letter home that his unit arrived in the port at about 3 p.m. and were greeted by the Japanese who provided them with trucks and other logistical support to off-load their equipment. 

The following morning, American soldiers were transported by train to Seoul, where, upon arrival, they marched in silence to their positions at Bando Hotel and the Japanese headquarters in Yongsan. Donald Clark, in his book “Living Dangerously in Korea,” notes that while the soldiers marched in silence, American “planes roared overhead ‘providing striking demonstrations of power that could hardly have failed to impress both Japanese and Koreans.'” 

Later that afternoon, at around 4 p.m., General Hodge and Admiral Kincaid arrived at the Government-General Building and, after a short speech ― “listened glumly to by the Japanese” ― Hodge accepted Japan’s surrender. 

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It looks like Koreans may see reduced restaurant hours due to the current coronavirus wave:

 Owners of mom-and-pop restaurants and cafes in the greater Seoul area are considering scaling back operating hours for two weeks, as the country went into a semi-lockdown Monday and most people are expected to cancel dinner appointments and stay at home.

The government imposed the most stringent social distancing rules in the area, effective until July 25, since coronavirus cases have been surging to record levels, with a majority of the cases breaking out in the capital and its surrounding region.

Gatherings of three people or more in restaurants and cafes are banned after 6 p.m., and most public and private companies ordered their employees to work from home to bring the rapid spread of the coronavirus under control.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.