The road that runs in front of the presidential office is to be opened to the public around the clock starting Monday, for the first time in 50 years, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday.

The move to lift the night curfews reflected President Moon Jae-in’s vow to reach out more to the people and to break away from the government’s authoritarianism.

“The presidential security office decided to unbar the roads around Cheong Wa Dae on a 24-hour basis, seeking to extend the convenience of the citizens,” Blue House spokesperson Park Soo-hyun said in a briefing.


Celebrating the change, a late-night walking event will be held Monday, during which first lady Kim Jung-sook will meet with citizens and stroll along the curfew-free road, he added.

The five checkpoints will no longer conduct inspections, except in special circumstances, and the barricades will be replaced with traffic control posts. The road forming the boundary between Gyeongbokgung and the Blue House will be open at all times, according to Park.

People will also be allowed to take photographs from any angle toward the presidential house, except at guard posts and security-related facilities. Taking photographs in the direction of the presidential office, including from the mountain behind it, has long been restricted.

Access to roads around Cheong Wa Dae has been restricted from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. since North Korea’s 1968 assassination attempt on then-President Park Chung-hee.

Even during the day, free public access has been relatively limited in the neighborhood, as passers-by were often intimidated by the massive barricades and guards.

“This will mark a significant move for Cheong Wa Dae to break free from its authoritarian image and advance into the Gwanghwamun era,” the spokesperson said, referring to President Moon’s election vow to open up to the public.

Joo Young-hoon, chief of the presidential security office, offered an apology to those who live near the presidential office for the inconvenience over the past decades.

“Drones, however, will continue to be excluded from the photo permission as they are potential threats on security and this issue remains to be solved,” Joo added.

The security chief also reported that the Blue House saved some 2 billion won ($1.8 million) by cutting its special activities funds, based on the state chief’s vow not to waste taxpayers’ money for his private use.

“Of the amount, 1.6 billion won will be used to create new jobs in the public sector, while the rest will go to recruitment for the security office, which, under the recent circumstances, needs to be reinforced in manpower,” Joo said.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)