Ex-Daegu Mayor Hong says to move presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae

By Yi Wonju

SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- A former mayor of the city of Daegu who announced his presidential bid this week, Hong Joon-pyo, said Tuesday he would push for sweeping political reforms and relocate the presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae.

Hong made the pledge announcing his policy vision focused on restructuring South Korea's political system at his campaign office in Seoul, as the country gears up for a June 3 presidential election following the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

"I will start the constitutional reform immediately after I take office by launching a presidential task force for the reform," Hong said.

Hong called for the presidential office to be relocated back to Cheong Wa Dae in downtown Seoul, reversing Yoon's decision in 2022 to relocate it to the defense ministry compound in the central district of Yongsan.

He also criticized the Constitutional Court for "losing political neutrality" and pledged to abolish it, proposing instead to transfer its functions to a new division within the Supreme Court.

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