Seoul: President Lee Jae-myung will stay in the official residence in central Seoul starting Thursday until his office is relocated to the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae, his office said. Lee commuted from his private home in Incheon, west of Seoul, on his first day in office Wednesday as inspections were conducted at the Hannam-dong residence in the central district of Yongsan.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee will use the official residence until the presidential office is relocated to Cheong Wa Dae in downtown Seoul, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung. "This decision takes into account the potential impact on the relevant institution if a third location is used instead of the official residence in Hannam-dong, as well as the tax waste that could result from relocating," Kang said in a written briefing.

Moving the presidential office back to Cheong Wa Dae is expected to take several months due to required repairs and renovations. Nearly 60 percent of South Koreans want to see their new president back working at Cheong Wa Dae, a joint poll conducted by the three major TV stations showed Tuesday.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol had resided in Hannam-dong and commuted to the nearby presidential office during his term, until he was removed from office in April over his failed martial law bid. Following his inauguration in May 2022, Yoon relocated the presidential office from Cheong Wa Dae to the defense ministry compound and remodeled the foreign minister's official residence into the presidential home.