President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee on May 4 hold hands with children while entering Yongsan Children's Garden in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District to attend the facility's opening ceremony. Using part of a renovated site of a U.S. Army base returned to Korea, the venue houses facilities for children such as a library, Eeum Garden, event house, grass yard and sports fields.
The Garden is a park located in front of the presidential office building in Yongsan and occupies around 300,000 square meters of land previously used as a base by U.S. forces stationed in South Korea.
The park opened to the public on the eve of the Children's Day holiday after having undergone reconstruction for a year in line with Yoon's campaign pledge to draw closer to the public.
The opening also comes days ahead of the first anniversary of Yoon's inauguration on May 10.
"I'm reminded of how I felt at the time of my inauguration when I returned Cheong Wa Dae to the people and relocated the presidential office here," Yoon said in congratulatory remarks, referring to the former presidential compound.
"We will continue to make improvements so that it becomes a space where children can be healthy, joyful and happy," he said.
First lady Kim Keon Hee was also present at the ceremony, which was attended by around 200 people, including children, parents, and officials from the government, ruling People Power Party and the presidential office.
