South Korea's new President will relocate his office

SEOUL, Mar 20 (AFP): South Korea's president-elect said Sunday he will relocate his office from the "imperial" Blue House, in a move critics charged is linked to his belief in shamanistic spiritual practices.
Yoon Suk-yeol, who won a tight election earlier this month, pledged on the campaign trail that he would move presidential business out of the Blue House-home to South Korea's leaders since 1948.
The former prosecutor has accused the hilltop headquarters of fostering an "imperial" presidency and undermining communication with the public.
He is not the first to try to relocate. Outgoing President Moon Jae-in also pledged to move out "to eradicate the authoritarian presidential culture" but faced security and logistical hurdles.
Those hurdles remain-the move has raised concerns for its reported cost of around 50 billion won ($41 million), and because roads in crowded Seoul would have to be closed every day during the presidential commute.
Yoon's critics have said his desire to move is tied to his belief in feng shui, a traditional religious practice which stresses the importance of harmony between humans and nature.
The former prosecutor has been dogged by accusations of ties to a shaman, which he has denied.
The Blue House has long been rumoured to foster bad luck for its residents, given the impeachment, corruption trials and imprisonment that have befallen South Korean presidents.