The controversy over the Yongsan Presidential Office and the passage of the special prosecution law for fact-finding

Lee Jae-myung's presidential inauguration in 2025

On June 4, 2025, the 22nd President Lee Jae-myung officially began his term. However, his first day of work opened not with celebration and anticipation, but in a quiet shock. A president without an office or residence. This scene, difficult to find precedent in constitutional history, suggests something beyond mere lack of preparation. The Yongsan presidential office is still incomplete, and President Lee Jae-myung has had to stay at a private residence tonight. However, the absence of this space soon reveals the traces of unexplained power. It is a space that the departed wished to conceal and the one left behind must bear the silhouette of responsibility.

The meaning of the expression "like a grave"

President Lee Jae-myung described the Yongsan presidential office as "like a tomb due to the risk of eavesdropping and security issues." This statement is not merely a complaint about the facilities. Originally, this space was a military facility temporarily converted, which is closed off, obstructing communication with the public, and has long raised questions about its sustainability. Nevertheless, this uncomfortable and inappropriate space was handed over by the previous administration without any arrangement. It was as if it had quietly closed the door and left, like a room carrying the truth someone wanted to hide.

Political actions that conceal responsibility

This situation is not merely an administrative failure, but a clear evasion of political responsibility. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration, by moving the presidential office to Yongsan, has made no preparations or transitions for the next administration. The presidential residence has been neglected, and the workspace remains effectively in an 'unmovable' condition. The act of passing this void on to the next government, while concealing it, is not unlike pushing the truth into a dark room and locking the door. Furthermore, the ruling party, the People Power Party, has also become an accomplice in this responsibility through its acquiescence and silence as a political force that shared this decision.

Special prosecutor, a tool to unlock the truth

However, the state has the key to unlock the room where the truth is sealed. That key is the special prosecutor. Tomorrow, three special prosecution laws are scheduled to pass in the National Assembly. The first is the 'Chae Hae-byeong Special Prosecutor Law,' which investigates allegations of military service evasion and preferential treatment among high-ranking officials in the Ministry of National Defense and civilian executives. The second is the 'Yoon Seok-yeol National Emergency and Foreign Exchange Special Prosecutor Law,' which aims to clarify indications of military involvement and conspiracy to incite insurrection during the 12.3 incident, as well as allegations of foreign exchange outflow planning. The third is the 'Kim Geon-hee Integrated Special Prosecutor Law,' which comprehensively addresses stock manipulation by Deutsche Motors and various allegations against the First Lady. These are not political retaliation. Rather, they are the last resort of the state to bring forth long-hidden records of power, extracting the truth from within the sealed room. The public wants to know. Why has the investigation stopped? Why did the prosecution bow its head before power? Whose judgment was it?

What is the time to ask what is right

The landscape of the president having to stay at the private residence due to a lack of a working place is not just a simple inconvenience, but a symbol of the bankruptcy of politics. However, there is a way to truly fill this empty space. The special investigation is the starting point. It is now time to move beyond the era of political disputes questioning 'who was right,' and to head towards 'what is right.' The special investigation is not about condemning the past, but rather the final attempt for the state to organize and learn from the records of power itself. Hidden rooms must be opened, remaining traces must be documented, and accountability must be named.

The truth cannot be hidden.

The special prosecution is a mirror. It shows us the scenes we were afraid to face and paves the way so that the next generation does not experience the same wandering. Now we ask, why was that door locked? And what was inside? The first answer to that question will begin tomorrow in the National Assembly.