Blue House

Cheong Wa Dae ( ko, 청와대; Hanja: ; ), also known as the Blue House, is a public park that formerly served as the executive office and official residence of the president of South Korea from 1948 to 2022. It is located in the Jongno district of the South Korean capital Seoul.

Cheong Wa Dae is in fact a complex of multiple buildings, built largely in the traditional Korean architectural style with some modern architectural elements and facilities. Cheong Wa Dae now consists of the Main Office Hall ''Bon-gwan'' ( ko, 본관; Hanja: ; lit. "Main House"), the Presidential Residence, the State Reception House ''Yeongbin-gwan'' ( ko, 영빈관; Hanja: ; lit. "Welcome-Guest House"), the ''Chunchu-gwan'' ( ko, 춘추관; Hanja: ; lit. "Spring-Autumn House") Press Hall, and the Secretariat Buildings. The entire complex covers approximately 250,000 square metres or 62 acres.

Cheong Wa Dae was built upon the site of the royal garden of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). While the Blue House served as an executive office, it was one of the most protected official residences in Asia. Upon the inauguration of President Yoon Suk-yeol in May 2022, Cheong Wa Dae was relieved of its duties as the official residence and executive office of the president and was fully converted to a public park.

History

The location of ''Cheong Wa Dae'' was the site of a royal villa in what was then Hanyang, the southern capital of the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392). It was built by King Sukjong (r. 1095–1105) in 1104. Goryeo's principal capital was at Kaesong, and it also maintained a western capital at Pyongyang and an eastern capital at Gyeongju.

After the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897) moved its capital to Hanyang, Gyeongbokgung was built in 1395, the fourth year of the reign of King Taejo (r. 1392–1398) as the main palace, and the royal villa lot became the back garden of the palace. It was used as the site for civil service examinations and military training.

Following Japan's annexation of Korea in 1910, the Japanese governor of Korea used the ''Gyeongbokgung'' grounds for the Government-General Building. In July 1939, Japan built an official residence/office for the governor-general on the site of ''Cheong Wa Dae''.

With the establishments of the Republic of Korea in 1948, President Syngman Rhee called the building "Gyeong Mu Dae" ( ko, 경무대; Hanja: , ), which was the name of one of the few old buildings for former official residence there. He used it as his office and residence. President Yun Bo-seon changed the name to "Cheong Wa Dae" after he was inaugurated in 1960. The name was reportedly changed as it had ostensibly become associated with authoritarianism and dictatorship. An alternate name "Hwaryeongdae" was proposed alongside "Cheong Wa Dae" as a possible renaming candidate, but the latter was ultimately chosen.

In January 1968, North Korean infiltrators nearly reached the building in a bid to assassinate President Park Chung-hee during the Blue House raid. In the ensuing melee, 28 North Koreans, 26 South Koreans and four Americans were killed.

On 26 October 1979 Park was assassinated by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) Director in a safehouse in the Blue House grounds.

Presidents Park, Choi Kyu-ha, and Chun Doo-hwan used the building both as their office and official residence. While President Roh Tae-woo was in office, a new office building, official residence and press center, called ''Chunchu-gwan'', were built. The main office building was opened in April 1991. In 1993 during Kim Young-sam's presidency, the building built by Japan for the then-official residence was dismantled.

On 20 March 2022, South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol announced that he would take office on May 10 in the Ministry of National Defense building in the Yongsan District of Seoul, and open the Blue House to the public as a park. In May 2022, in accordance with order issued by Yoon Suk-yeol after he took office, the building officially converted into a public park and opened to public visitation for the first time in its 74 year history, with a maximum of 39,000 visitors allowed on a daily basis.

Setting

Geomancers have long considered the area in which ''Cheong Wa Dae'' is located as an auspicious location. This view was backed up by an inscription on a stone wall that reads: "The Most Blessed Place on Earth", found behind the official presidential residence during the construction of a new building in 1990. Others contend that it is cursed, due to the misfortunes that has befallen on its previous occupants.

To the north is the mountain Bukhansan, flanked by two mountains, Naksan, symbolizing the Azure Dragon, on the left and Inwangsan, symbolizing the White Tiger, on the right. To the south is Namsan, the protective mountain of the capital. In front flow the Cheonggyecheon stream and Han River.

File:Korea-Seoul-Blue House (Cheongwadae) Reception Center 0690-07.JPG, One of the buildings at the Cheongwadae Reception Center
File:Korea-Seoul Blue House (Cheongwadae) Reception Center 0693-07.JPG, Another building at the Reception Center
Image:Korea-Seoul-Cheongwadae-Blue.House-Bukhansan-02.jpg, Near the entrance to the Blue House grounds
Image:Korea-Seoul-Cheong.Wa.Dae-Street-02.jpg, Monument on road in front of the Blue House, administrative building in background
Image:Seoul Gyeongbokgung Blue House Bukhansan.jpg, View over the Gyeongbokgung and the Blue House at the foot of Bugaksan
File:Korea-Seoul-Cheongwadae-Blue.House-Bukhansan-01.jpg, Aerial view of the Blue House
File:Korea-Seoul-Blue House (Cheongwadae) Fountain 0698-07.JPG, Fountain in front of the Blue House
File:Korea-Seoul-Blue House (Cheongwadae) Bridge 0686-07.JPG, A bridge connecting the garden area to the Reception Center
File:Korea BlueHouse.jpg, View from the balcony of the visitors center
File:George W. Bush and Kim Dae-Jung.jpg, President George W. Bush at the Blue House in February 2002
File:Obama and Lee Myung-bak.jpg, Presidents Barack Obama and Lee Myung-bak inside the Blue House in November 2010
File:President Trump in South Korea (48170578767).jpg, Presidents Donald Trump and Moon Jae-in inside the Blue House in June 2019

In popular culture

*2009, ''Iris'' (KBS TV drama)
*2010, '' Big Thing'' (SBS TV drama)
*2011, ''City Hunter'' (SBS TV drama)
*2013, '' King of Ambition'' (SBS TV drama)
*2015, ''Assembly'' (KBS TV drama)
*2019, ''Vagabond'' (SBS TV drama)
*2019, '' Designated Survivor: 60 Days'' (tvN TV drama)

See also

* Korean architecture
*History of South Korea
* History of Korea
*Presidential Residence of South Korea
*Korea National Assembly Proceeding Hall
*Residences of North Korean leaders - the northern equivalent in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

References

External links

Office of the President


Blue House entry in Visit Korea

{{Authority control

Official residences in South Korea
Buildings and structures in Seoul
Presidential residences
Residential buildings completed in 1991
1991 establishments in South Korea
Jongno District
Parks in Seoul
Tourist attractions in Seoul