Sawt Falasteen - South Korea's president begins move back to historic Blue House

The Blue House, known as Cheong Wa Dae in Korean, is named for the approximately 150,000 hand-painted blue tiles that adorn its roof and has long been synonymous with the South Korean presidency.

Once occupied by representatives of former colonial power Japan, the site housed South Korea's leaders for seven decades.

But now-disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol chose not to use it as his home and office, opening it to the public and moving instead into a separate residence.

Yoon was ousted in April following a disastrous but brief imposition of martial law, with South Korean voters electing President Lee Jae Myung in a snap election a few months later.

Lee had vowed to move both the presidential office and residence back to the Blue House if elected.

That process began on Monday and will be wrapped up by Christmas, his office told AFP.

But the president's official move into his new residence will take a little longer due to security concerns, local media has reported.

The Blue House has long been the subject of public fascination fuelled in part by the misfortunes that have befallen past inhabitants -- including assassinations, impeachments and imprisonments.

Yoon's relocation may have been in part an effort to escape such a fate, which some blame on the site's apparent bad fortune.

But his move did little to save him -- Yoon is now behind bars and standing criminal trial on insurrection charges.

R.Halabi--SF-PST