Defense Ministry returns to Yongsan HQ, national heroes' statues reinstated

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense has officially returned to its main headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, marking the end of a two-year period during which it operated from the Joint Chiefs of Staff building. The relocation was necessitated by the previous administration's decision to move the presidential office into the ministry's former main building. With the presidential office now relocated back to Cheong Wa Dae, the Ministry of National Defense has resumed operations in its original location as of last month.

A symbolic gesture accompanying the ministry's return was the reinstallation of 13 statues of national heroes, including General Hong Beom-do, Admiral Yi Sun-sin, and General Eulji Mundeok, at the main entrance of the building. These statues had been removed during the previous administration's push to relocate the presidential office, a move that ignited significant public backlash, with critics decrying it as an attempt to rewrite history. The ministry described the reinstallation as a symbol of their return to the historic building after approximately four years and three months.

The return to the Yongsan headquarters signifies a full circle for the ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who will now operate from separate, independent buildings as they did before May 2022. The reinstallation of the statues, particularly that of General Hong Beom-do, addresses a point of contention during the previous administration, which had sought to remove his statue due to his past affiliation with the Soviet Communist Party. This effort was ultimately thwarted by strong public opposition.

“

A measure symbolizing the return to the former headquarters after approximately four years and three months.