Moon, Yoon Discuss Key Issues over Dinner

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol met his outgoing predecessor Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday evening for the first time since the presidential election early this month.

They met at around 6 p.m. and talked for nearly three hours over dinner, accompanied by officials from both sides. Their rescheduled meeting came nearly two weeks after an earlier lunch between them was canceled at the last minute due to some disagreements.

According to an aide of Yoon's who serves on his transition team, the outgoing and incoming presidents discussed key issues including more spending to help people ride out the coronavirus pandemic, North Korea's latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile and the relocation of the presidential office.

Regarding the relocation of the presidential office, the aide said Moon promised to cooperate with his successor's plan to move it out of the palatial Cheong Wa Dae to a nondescript government block in downtown Yongsan, although he earlier looked to oppose the "hasty" idea, citing "security reasons." Moon was quoted as saying by the aide, "Any decision on the relocation of the presidential office is up to the incoming government."

But it still remains to be seen whether Yoon's new office will be ready in time for his inauguration on May 10.