Moon’s retirement residence faces resistance from neighbors

Construction of President Moon Jae-in’s post-presidency residence has been halted recently faced with resistance from residents of the area, according to Cheong Wa Dae sources Thursday.

Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook plan to relocate to Habuk, a small town in the rural city of Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, after retiring in May 2022. They purchased a 2,630-square-meter property in the area for 1.06 billion won ($870,000) last year.

Following the purchase, the Presidential Security Service also acquired a 1,124-square-meter plot of land there for facilities for bodyguards under a law on providing security for former presidents.

With the residential area scheduled to be refurbished by the year-end, construction work for the facilities started early this month, but a few days later some villagers expressed complaints by hanging banners opposing the president’s resettlement.

Construction noise and dust and other potential worries like traffic congestion with flooding visitors are cited as their concerns. But they have not yet specified their demands as they are refusing to attend a hearing to talk about solutions with the city government.

Suspicions also grow about their political motives, with some villagers hanging new banners welcoming the president possibly in a protest against the opponents.

“We have thus far followed related rules strictly. But we have decided to stop the construction for a while to better communicate with the villagers,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said on condition of anonymity, adding no change to the original plans was being discussed.

The latest disputes may be the last thing the president wants to see as he has often expressed his will to go back to his hometown after retirement and live a reclusive life.

In a New Year’s press conference held last year, he said, “After retirement, I want to stay out of politics and remain a forgotten person.”

According to sources, the decision to suspend construction was also made in consideration of the president’s intentions. 

The presidential couple had originally planned to settle in Maegok, about a 30-minute drive from the new site, where they lived until Moon took office in 2017, but the PSS was against the idea, citing security concerns due to limited space.

Amid growing tensions with his future neighbors in Habuk, villagers in Maegok also hanged banners saying the president is always welcome to the town.

It is rare for a South Korean president to return to his or her hometown after retirement. While most of the former presidents stayed in Seoul, the only exception was late former President Roh Moo-hyun, Moon’s close friend and political ally.

Roh relocated to Bongha, a village near Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, after he left Cheong Wa Dae in 2008, and was heavily involved in reshaping the neighboring area like adopting new farming techniques and inviting citizens into his residence for casual chatting. After his death in 2009, the village has become like a pilgrimage site for his ardent supporters.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)