The President of the United States lives in the White House. The President of Argentina lives in the Pink House. What color house does the South Korean president live in? You guessed it, it’s the Blue House, or what is aptly called Chungwade (청와대). The Chungwade (청와대) contains the press hall or chunchukwan (춘추관), where the President makes his speeches. It also contains the guesthouse, or the youngbingwan (영빈관).

The Chungwade (청와대) is surrounded by centuries of history. It was first built by King Sukjong (숙종) in 1104 A.D. and continued to be the main palace for Korean kings up until the last king of Korea. It was then taken over by the Japanese in the 1900s and used as the headquarters for the Japanese military. Then it went back to South Korean control after WWII. In 1968 there was an infamous event when North Korean spies took over the Chungwadae (청와대). 68 South Koreans and 3 Americans died. In sum, this building has a wide span of history to it.

Not only is the Chungwade (청와대) historically valuable, it’s also located in a geographically strategic spot. The Chungwade (청와대) is surrounded by mountains. The names of these mountains are: Bukhansan (북한산), namsan (남산), and naksan (낙산). These mountains provide a natural barrier for to protect against any invasions. (Although if you look at the history behind the Chungwade (청와대), it’s protection is not absolute.) In addition to the mountains there are two bodies of water called the Chunkechun (청계천) and the hankang (한강).

Security is tight, so the only way you can see the President’s residence is to get a tour bus guide. You won’t be able to step inside the mansion, but at least you can view it from the outside.