As always, there aren’t many customers for today’s lunch business, as you can see, and it has been like this usually. Ever since the presidential office moved to Yongsan three years ago, it has been like this. The number of customers has drastically decreased, and sales aren't coming in.
Kim Young-ja (58), who has operated a bossam restaurant near the Blue House in Jongno, Seoul, for 15 years, sighed around 1 p.m. on the 10th. At this restaurant, which is about 500 meters away from the Blue House in a straight line, there were mainly local residents sitting, not tourists. It was mealtime, but there were many empty seats.
As President Lee Jae-myung pushes for a transfer of the presidential office back to the Blue House, anticipating that visits to the Blue House will soon cease, nearby merchants have mixed feelings of hope and concern. Some merchants expect that personnel from the Blue House will come to sell food, but those who relied on tourist demand are worried about a drop in sales.
Places welcoming the return of the presidential office are mainly restaurants frequented by residents or workers, like Kim's bossam restaurant. Kim said, "After the transfer of the presidential office to Yongsan, sales dropped by more than half, and I was about to close the shop," adding, "I have high hopes because the Blue House is coming back."
A merchant operating a meat restaurant near the Blue House said, "Employees of the Blue House and the Presidential Security Service were regulars, but after they moved to Yongsan, sales dropped by more than half," and added, "If the presidential office returns, it will be a great help as fixed customers will come back."
The sense of anticipation is also reflected in the real estate market. A nearby real estate agency reported that some merchants who had put their stores up for sale in Cheongun-dong and Tongin-dong in Jongno withdrew their listings following the news of the presidential office returning to the Blue House.
In contrast, areas where tourist demand was high over the last three years are worried. According to the Blue House Foundation, the monthly number of visitors to the Blue House last year was about 100,000 to 200,000. On average, 3,000 to 6,000 people visited the Blue House each day, and some likely dined or stopped at cafes nearby. With President Lee's increased chances of election, around 15,000 people visited the Blue House daily last month.
Ha Mo (49), who has been operating a Korean restaurant near the Blue House Press Hall for 13 years, said, "Recently, news that tours of the Blue House will end has led to a rush of tourists, and reservations are fully booked. If tours completely cease, lunchtime sales will significantly drop," adding, "As Samcheong-dong has tourists as its main customer base, it seems unavoidable that there will be a negative impact."
If the presidential office returns to the Blue House, gatherings and protests may resume nearby, leading to traffic congestion and noise disturbances as seen in the past. Won Mo (72), who operates a kalguksu restaurant nearby, said, "If protests occur, customers will stop coming to this neighborhood, which could drop sales." However, Kim, who runs the bossam restaurant, noted, "During the Sewol ferry disaster or the impeachment protests of former President Park Geun-hye, police mobilization teams would visit every day with 400 to 500 officers," adding that he welcomed the protests.