Sung Jang-hyun, mayor of Yongsan-gu spoke on President-elect Yoon Seoul-youl’s plans to relocate the presidential office to Yongsan and said, “We finally got a chance to do something, but if our development plans are reduced or canceled, the citizens of Yongsan will truly be devastated.”

Sung said this at a press briefing on the Yongsan Museum of History on March 21, while criticizing the transition committee for not consulting Yongsan-gu on the relocation of the presidential office prior to the announcement. If the presidential office is relocated to the defense ministry building in Yongsan, it could cancel development plans currently promoted in the area due to security issues. Sung said, “Development has been restricted in Yongsan for over a hundred years because of a military base in the center. This means citizens were unable to exercise their property rights.” He further explained, “Since someone had to sacrifice for the security and freedom of the Republic of Korea, we were patient for 138 years.”

He demanded measures to prevent any impact on the lives of Yongsan citizens. Sung said “They need to establish measures on traffic restrictions and demonstrations near Samgakji to prevent the situation in Yongsan from getting any worse.”

He also expressed his discontent on the unilateral decision by the presidential transition committee. Sung said, “He (Yoon) said that he was relocating the presidential office to better communicate with the people, but no one ever informed me (of the relocation) or asked our opinion.” He added, “I’m not sure if cleaning up after the central government makes a decision is communication.”

Sung served as the second, fifth and sixth district mayor of Yongsan-gu after local elections were reestablished and is currently completing his final term as the seventh district mayor. He said, “I will be going away, but I hope they can discuss the issue with the next person elected mayor of Yongsan.” He also said, “Because of this thunderclap, I am under fire from our district residents who ask me why I am standing still and ask if I’m for or against the relocation.”

At a meeting with his executives this day, Sung instructed his officials to analyze the impact of the relocation of the presidential office at the district office level. He said, “I asked them because we will have to identify what we need to prepare, what suggestions to make to the government and the transition committee, as well as the issues that require our persuasion. And because we need to have a clear roadmap that thoroughly analyzes what benefits we will have and what problems can occur.”

He also spoke on the delay in the return of the U.S. military base. He said, “I have no idea where the government’s promise to open a park to the public by 2027 went. There is no promise on when the land will be returned.” He asked, “How long has it been since the U.S. base moved to Osan and Pyeongtaek? How much money did South Korea pay for the cost?” and said, “Yet they have still not kept the promise to return the land as a public park.”