President Yoon Suk-yeol arrived at the presidential office in a motorcade for the first time on Wednesday, an unusual sight following his relocation.
Yoon departed his home in southern Seoul at 8:21 a.m. and arrived at his office in Yongsan’s core district at 8:34 a.m.
While the foreign minister’s official mansion is being turned into the new presidential residence, the president will commute every day for the time being.
Both the presidential office and the presidential home have been transferred out of Cheong Wa Dae, and the compound has been accessible to the public.
Yoon smiled when reporters asked him about his first commute to work, remarking that his first day at the office was Tuesday.
The president worked from his office on Tuesday, but only after returning home following his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly.
When asked about his feelings on becoming the first president to commute to work, he said: “I don’t have any particular thoughts. I better get to work.”
Yoon responded to media criticism that he did not mention unity in his inauguration speech, stating he did so because it was self-evident.
“Our political process is a national unity process,” he remarked. “I discussed the values we shall seek in our efforts to achieve unity. That’s the way to look at things.”