|
|
|
Does Seoul need a state guesthouse?
By Lee Chi-dong
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- Seoul's lack of a state guesthouse has officials wondering where North Korean leader Kim Jong-il would stay if he were to visit for a summit, as President-elect Lee Myung-bak has suggested.
South Korea has no state guesthouse like the North's Baekhwawon, where Kim hosted then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung in 2000 and President Roh Moo-hyun in 2007.
Seoul instead owns a number of glitzy hotels promising top-notch services. But it is doubtful that the facilities will satisfy the North Korean leader in terms of security measures, since he reportedly has a pathological fear of being assassinated.
"If you ask whether we can guarantee his security, it is hard to answer," said Jang Woo-jong, a senior public relations official at Shilla Hotel in Seoul.
Jang said that in any case, it would be a pleasure to provide service to Kim, just as to other foreign leaders.
He said hosting foreign prime ministers or presidents is still lucrative, although the profit margin depends on the size of delegation.
Protocol officials here admit that the quality of hotel service is high, but they say a state guesthouse is needed.
"On the precondition of national consensus, I think a state guesthouse like China's Diaoyutai or the U.S. Blair House is necessary," a ranking foreign ministry official said. "Such a guesthouse can either provide a place to stay or a venue for banquet."
The problem is budget constraints. The government will have to spend huge amounts of funds to construct the facility and maintain it.
Some propose that Samcheonggak, a building near the presidential office, be renovated into a state guesthouse.
Established in 1972, Samcheonggak served as the venue for important government negations and dinners until 1990, when it was turned into a restaurant. In 2001, it became a culture complex.
lcd@yna.co.kr
(END)
|
| |
|
|
Home
