President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol uses a visual aid to explain the relocation of Cheong Wa Dae during a press conference at his transition team’s headquarters in Seoul on March 20, 2022. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 22 (Korea Bizwire) — About 58 percent of South Koreans are against President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s plan to move the presidential office out of Cheong Wa Dae, while some 33 percent support the idea, a poll showed Tuesday.
According to the poll of 1,018 adults, conducted by pollster Mediatomato on Saturday and Sunday, 58.1 percent said the presidential office should remain at Cheong Wa Dae and 33.1 percent said they back the relocation plan.
On Sunday, Yoon officially announced his decision to move the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to what is now the defense ministry building, saying he wants the top office to move out of a “symbol of imperial power” and get closer to the people.
But the relocation push has hit a snag as the office of President Moon Jae-in expressed opposition, saying such a hurried relocation could leave a security vacuum at a time of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Moon’s cooperation is key because he has to provide a budget for the relocation plan.
The survey also asked respondents whether they support granting a special pardon to former President Lee Myung-bak, imprisoned for corruption.
A total of 58.2 percent were against the pardon, while 38.2 percent support it, the survey showed.
Yoon had planned to ask Moon for a pardon for Lee during a scheduled meeting, but it was called off at the last minute because working-level, pre-meeting discussions were not completed.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.
(Yonhap)
