Lee plans Cheong Wa Dae residence move before year-end

South Korea’s presidential administration is preparing for Lee Jae Myung to move into the Cheong Wa Dae residence this year, but no date has been fixed.

A presidential official told Yonhap on October 12 that the move would depend on completing building commissioning and relocation preparations. The statement sets out an intended timeframe rather than a confirmed moving day.

Lee and first lady Kim Hea Kyung currently live in the residence in Seoul’s Yongsan Ward used by former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Refurbishment work is continuing at Cheong Wa Dae.

Yoon moved both the presidential office and residence from Cheong Wa Dae to Yongsan after taking office in 2022. Lee decided to return both to their former location following his inauguration last year.

The presidential office completed its move in December, while the residential move remained outstanding. The latest announcement concerns accommodation for the president and his family, rather than another relocation of his working office.