51.9% oppose Yoon's plan to relocate presidential office

About half of South Koreans are against President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's plan to move the presidential office out of Cheong Wa Dae, while some 44 percent support the idea, a poll showed Wednesday.

According to the poll of 1,004 adults, conducted by pollster Embrain Public on Sunday and Monday, 51.9 percent said the presidential office should remain at Cheong Wa Dae and 44.3 percent said they back the relocation plan.

Yoon has decided to move the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to what is now the defense ministry building in Yongsan district, central Seoul, 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.

Earlier this week, Moon and Yoon held their first meeting since Yoon's election. During the meeting, Moon promised to look into the relocation and render cooperation, but questions remain about whether Yoon could relocate the presidential office in time for his May 10 inauguration.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. (Yonhap)