Blue House
Cheong Wa Dae (Korean: 청와대; Hanja: 靑瓦臺; lit. Cyan-tile Pavilion), also known as the Blue House in English, is a public park that formerly served as the presidential residence and the diplomatic reception halls of South Korea from 1948 to 2022. It is located in the Jongno district of the South Korean capital Seoul.
| Blue House | |
|---|---|
청와대 靑瓦臺 Cheong Wa Dae | |
The reception center of the Blue House | |
Location in Seoul | |
| Former names | Gyeong Mu Dae (1948–1960) |
| Alternative names | Cheong Wa Dae |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Traditional Korean |
| Address | 1 Cheongwadae-ro, Jongno-gu |
| Town or city | Seoul |
| Country | South Korea |
| Coordinates | 37.5867°N 126.9763°E |
| Groundbreaking | 22 March 1937 |
| Topped-out | 20 September 1939 |
| Opened | 1948 (as presidential residence) 10 May 2022 (as public park) |
| Renovated | 22 July 1989 – 4 September 1991 |
| Closed | 9 May 2022 (as presidential residence) |
| Website | |
| opencheongwadae.kr/eng opencheongwadae.kr | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 청와대 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Cheong Wa Dae |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'ŏng'wadae |
Cheong Wa Dae is a complex of multiple buildings built largely in the traditional Korean architectural style with some modern architectural elements and facilities. Cheong Wa Dae now consists of the Main Office Hall Bon-gwan, the Presidential Residence, the State Reception House Yeongbin-gwan, the Chunchu-gwan, Press Hall, and the Secretariat Buildings. The entire complex covers approximately 250,000 square metres or 62 acres.
Cheong Wa Dae was built upon the site of the royal garden of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910). While the Blue House served as an executive office, it was one of the most protected official residences in Asia. Upon the inauguration of President Yoon Suk Yeol in May 2022, Cheong Wa Dae was relieved of its duties as the official residence and executive office of the president. The president's office and residence were moved to the Ministry of National Defense building in the Yongsan District of Seoul, and Cheong Wa Dae was fully converted into a public park.