President Yoon Seok-yeol, who was inaugurated as the 20th president, will receive a report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the ‘underground bunker’ in Yongsan’s presidential office at 0:00 on the 10th and begin official work.
‘A large-scale inauguration ceremony’ after 10 years of walking up the podium
According to Ajou Economic Daily, President Yoon receives the first phone report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff following the transfer of military command from the situation room of the National Crisis Management Center located in the basement of the Yongsan Presidential Office. This means that President Yoon will exercise his first command as commander-in-chief of the military at ‘Yongsan Bunker’. It is also intended to allay concerns about security concerns raised by the relocation of the presidential office.
In the past, former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye received a report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff at 0:00 on the day their terms began, and at 8:00 am on the day of inauguration for former President Moon Jae-in, whose term began immediately after being elected.
After receiving the report of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, President Yun visits the National Cemetery with First Lady Kim Kun-hee to worship. After changing clothes at the National Cemetery, President Yoon attends the inauguration ceremony held in the front yard of the National Assembly.
The inauguration ceremony will be divided into a pre-ceremonial event at 10 a.m. and a main event at 11 a.m. President Yoon will greet the citizens before his inauguration ceremony and walk 180 meters within the National Assembly grounds to the podium installed in front of the main building of the National Assembly. After his inauguration ceremony, the car parade will not proceed.
The inauguration ceremony will be attended by heads of six economic groups, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, and Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Choi Tae-won. In addition, former President Park Geun-hye and other political party representatives and key personnel, five-member officials, state guests, former presidents and their families, major foreign guests, judicial and constitutional institutions, former five-member officials, and the chairman of the National Assembly will also be present.
◆’Lee Jae-yong, Choi Tae-won’ Dinner with business figures and diplomatic missions from China to Japan
Delegations from two major countries (G2, USA and China) will also attend. In particular, as he is scheduled to meet with Douglas M. Hope, the ‘second gentleman’ of the United States, and China’s Vice President Wang Qishan, President Yun will make his diplomatic debut on the first day of his inauguration.
In the meantime, the inauguration ceremony was attended by the US Secretary of State and the National Security Adviser of the White House. However, as the time for the Korea-US summit is imminent, it seems that they sent a second gentleman with the symbolism of the ‘White House Family’ to express their sincerity.
Vice President Wang, who visits Korea as a special representative of President Xi Jinping (習近平), is regarded as Xi’s ‘right hand’. This is the highest-ranking Chinese person ever to attend the inauguration ceremony of a president. It seems to be to emphasize the Korea-China relationship in President Yoon’s diplomatic stance, which emphasized the strengthening of the Korea-US alliance.
In addition, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will attend as foreign guests. Foreign Minister Hayashi, attending the inauguration ceremony as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s special envoy, is the Japanese chief of foreign affairs visiting Korea for the first time in about four years since June 2018.
After the inauguration ceremony, President Yoon visits Samgakji Shelter and Children’s Park near the road to the Yongsan Presidential Office. Here, the so-called ‘outdoor town hall meeting’ will be held with about 100 local residents, including the elderly and children.
After the town hall meeting, President Yoon meets the foreign delegation attending the inauguration ceremony in the Oval Office. However, the order in which the U.S., China, and Japan delegations will meet has not yet been announced.
At 4 p.m., he attends a celebration held at the Rotender Hall of the National Assembly. Afterwards, the official schedule ends with a dinner inviting foreign guests at the inauguration ceremony at the Shilla Hotel Youngbin. The banquet will be attended by five national and foreign delegations who attended the inauguration ceremony, as well as Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin.
