Cheong Wa Dae ( ko, 청와대;
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: ; ), also known as the Blue House, is a public park that formerly served as the executive office and
official residence
An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
of the
president of South Korea
The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (often abbreviated to POTROK or POSK; ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president leads the State Council, and is ...
from 1948 to 2022. It is located in the
Jongno
Jongno or Jong-ro ( ko, 종로), literally meaning "Bell Street", is a trunk road and one of the oldest major east–west thoroughfares in Seoul, South Korea. Jongno connects Gwanghwamun Plaza to Dongdaemun.
The area surrounding Jongno is a p ...
district of the South Korean capital
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
.
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
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: ;
lit. "Main House"), the Presidential Residence, the State Reception House ''Yeongbin-gwan'' ( ko, 영빈관;
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: ;
lit. "Welcome-Guest House"), the ''Chunchu-gwan'' ( ko, 춘추관;
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: ;
lit. "Spring-Autumn House") Press Hall, and the Secretariat Buildings. The entire complex covers approximately 250,000 square metres or 62
acres
The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ya ...
.
Cheong Wa Dae was built upon the site of the royal garden of the
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
(1392–1910). While the Blue House served as an executive office, it was one of the most protected
official residence
An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
s in Asia. Upon the inauguration of President
Yoon Suk-yeol
Yoon Suk-yeol (; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician, former public prosecutor and lawyer who has been serving as the 13th and current president of South Korea since 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as the prosecutor g ...
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 Hanyang may refer to:
China
*Hanyang District (漢陽區, 汉阳区, ''Hànyáng Qū''), Wuhan, Hubei
:*Hanyang Arsenal (漢陽兵工廠), founded in 1891 as one of the oldest modern arsenals in Chinese history
:*Hanyang 88 (漢陽八八式步槍), ...
, the southern capital of the
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...
dynasty (918–1392). It was built by
King Sukjong (r. 1095–1105) in 1104. Goryeo's principal capital was at
Kaesong
Kaesong (, ) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region close t ...
, and it also maintained a western capital at
Pyongyang
Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...
and an eastern capital at
Gyeongju
Gyeongju ( ko, 경주, ), historically known as ''Seorabeol'' ( ko, 서라벌, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, ...
.
After the
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
(1392–1897) moved its capital to Hanyang,
Gyeongbokgung
Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...
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
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
examinations and
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
training.
Following
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
's
annexation of Korea
Annexation ( Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal ac ...
in 1910, the
Japanese governor of Korea used the ''
Gyeongbokgung
Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the '' Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseo ...
'' 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
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...
in 1948, President
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960.
Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...
called the building "Gyeong Mu Dae" ( ko, 경무대;
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: , ), 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
Yun Po-sun (; or ; August 26, 1897 – July 18, 1990) was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the second president of South Korea from 1960 to 1962. He was the only president of the parliamentary Second Republic of Korea.
Ha ...
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
Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
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
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
(KCIA) Director in a safehouse in the Blue House grounds.
Presidents Park,
Choi Kyu-ha
Choi Kyu-hah (; ; July 16, 1919 – October 22, 2006), also spelled Choi Kyu-ha or Choi Gyu-ha, was a South Korean politician who served as the fourth president of South Korea from 1979 to 1980.
Early life
Choi was born in Wonju-myeon, Wonj ...
, and
Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan (; or ; 18 January 1931 – 23 November 2021) was a South Korean Republic of Korea Army, army general and military dictator who ruled as an unelected Political strongman, strongman from 1979 to 1980 before replacing Choi Kyu-hah ...
used the building both as their office and
official residence
An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
. While President
Roh Tae-woo
Roh Tae-woo (; ; 4 December 1932 – 26 October 2021) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the sixth president of South Korea from 1988 to 1993.
Roh was a close ally and friend of Chun Doo-hwan, the predecessor leader ...
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
Kim Young-sam (; or ; 20 December 1927 – 22 November 2015) was a Demographics of South Korea, South Korean politician and activist who served as the seventh president of South Korea from 1993 to 1998.
From 1961, he spent almost 30 year ...
'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
Yoon Suk-yeol (; born 18 December 1960) is a South Korean politician, former public prosecutor and lawyer who has been serving as the 13th and current president of South Korea since 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as the prosecutor g ...
announced that he would take office on May 10 in the
Ministry of National Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
building in the
Yongsan District
Yongsan District (, ) is one of the 25 List of districts of Seoul, districts of Seoul, South Korea.
Yongsan has a population of 231,685 (2020) and has a geographic area of , and is divided into 19 ''Dong (administrative division), dong'' (adminis ...
of
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, 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
Bukhansan (, ), or Bukhan Mountain, is a mountain on the northern periphery of Seoul, South Korea. There are three major peaks, Baegundae , Insubong , Mangyeongdae . Because of its height and the fact that it borders a considerable portion of the ...
, flanked by two
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
s, Naksan, symbolizing the
Azure Dragon, on the left and Inwangsan, symbolizing the
White Tiger
The white tiger or bleached tiger is a leucistic pigmentation variant of the Mainland tiger. It is reported in the wild from time to time in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, in the Sunderbans region and ...
, on the right. To the south is
Namsan, the protective mountain of the capital. In front flow the
Cheonggyecheon
Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천, ) is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development caused it to be co ...
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
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
at the Blue House in February 2002
File:Obama and Lee Myung-bak.jpg, Presidents Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
and Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak (; ; ; born 19 December 1941) is a South Korean businessman and politician who served as the 10th president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and the ma ...
inside the Blue House in November 2010
File:President Trump in South Korea (48170578767).jpg, Presidents Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
and Moon Jae-in
Moon Jae-in (; ; born 24 January 1953) is a South Korean former politician, civil servant and lawyer who served as the 12th president of South Korea between 2017 and 2022. Prior to his presidency, he served as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs an ...
inside the Blue House in June 2019
In popular culture
*2009, ''
Iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
Iris or IRIS may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional ent ...
'' (KBS TV drama)
*2010, ''
Big Thing'' (SBS TV drama)
*2011, ''
City Hunter
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1985 to 1991 and collected into 35 ''tankōbon'' volumes by its publisher Shueisha. The manga was adapted int ...
'' (SBS TV drama)
*2013, ''
King of Ambition'' (SBS TV drama)
*2015, ''
Assembly
Assembly may refer to:
Organisations and meetings
* Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions
* General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...
'' (KBS TV drama)
*2019, ''
Vagabond
Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, temporar ...
'' (SBS TV drama)
*2019, ''
Designated Survivor: 60 Days'' (tvN TV drama)
See also
*
Korean architecture
Korean architecture () refers to an architectural style that developed over centuries in Korea.
Throughout the history of Korea, various kingdoms and royal dynasties have developed a unique style of architecture with influences from Buddhism and ...
*
History of South Korea
The history of South Korea formally begins with the Japanese surrender on 2 September 1945. Noting that, South Korea and North Korea are entirely different countries, despite still being the same people and on the same peninsula.
Backgroun ...
*
History of Korea
The Lower Paleolithic era in the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria began roughly half a million years ago.
Christopher J. Norton, "The Current State of Korean Paleoanthropology", (2000), ''Journal of Human Evolution'', 38: 803–825.
The earlies ...
*
Presidential Residence of South Korea
Presidential Residence of South Korea, commonly referred as the Yongsan Presidential Office, formerly Ministry of National Defense Building, is currently the official residence of the president of South Korea. It is located at 22 Itaewon-ro, Yon ...
*
Korea National Assembly Proceeding Hall
The National Assembly Proceeding Hall () is the South Korean capitol building. It serves as the location of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, the legislative branch of the South Korean national government. It is located at Yeouido ...
*
Residences of North Korean leaders
There are more than a dozen leader's residences in North Korea, according to Kim Jong-il’s former bodyguard Lee Young-kuk. Many of the residences were identified on satellite images in the North Korea Uncovered project. Ryongsong Residence is t ...
- 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