Not sure how much news is getting out overseas, but we not only got the president impeached but also arrested. More importantly though, a white guy on the BBC was interrupted by his family piling into the room behind him. But anyway, justice has been served, and the next presidential election is scheduled for May 9.
Until then, the presidential palace, Cheong Wa Dae or literally the Blue House, is totally empty. I decided to get a closer look and bit off more than I could chew.
1. The protests have turned into more of a celebration following the president's impeachment and now arrest.
Little geography lesson. The palace you see up there is Gyeongbokgung, built in the late 1300s. It was destroyed by Japanese invasions in the late 1500s and early-mid 1900s, and an expensive reconstruction has seen less than 50% of its buildings restored so far.
Further behind it, you see a similar style blue-roofed house. That is where the president lived, and it is my goal to get from way over here into there.
2. I tried getting to Cheong Wa Dae by walking, but there was still a pretty sizeable rally out front.
3. Finally I was through.
4. I followed a road around back where I could see some of the presidential compound looked to be in pretty bad shape.
5. Interesting propaganda in this neighbourhood.
6. I followed around the back wall of the presidential palace. Nobody really minded that I was here.
7. Around a corner, I saw they were doing some work on the wall.
8. Scaffolding means I can go up.
9. To the left is Bugaksan, and to the right is Korea's abandoned presidential palace.
10. Nice security measure bro.
11. Little known secret, there are actually two walls, hiding a passage traditionally used for evacuation. I've gotten over the outer wall, but still have to get through the inner wall.
12. All I had to do was crawl through a five-meter-long hole.
13. And the other side is inside Cheong Wa Dae grounds.
14. I ran into this statue back there. You can see the roof of Cheong Wa Dae below us.
15. Coming closer, there was some construction work going on here.
16. This was taped to the fence. Someone around here lost a dog.
17. They've been working hard to restore this building. I guess it's easier to do the work when nobody's living there.
18. Graffiti on the wall.
19. It looks like I'm not the first one to slip inside. Previous people made a bit more of a mess.
20. And the graffiti just got meaner.
21. Someone left her slippers. Soonderella?
22. I would've expected the president to have nicer washrooms for her guests.
23.
24.
25. I hope prison provides free footwear.
26. This is the lobby to one of the buildings.
27. Nice detail on the ceiling.
28. The interior was nice enough.
29. I found a dining room.
30. With food still. Not real food of course.
31. And floor seating for those who prefer that. No wonder Rex Tillerson left in such a hurry.
32. This hallway led me into complete darkness.
33. More shoes.
34. Okay, this is kind of weird.
35. Huh, I wonder what was done in this room.
36. Any idea what this was?
37. Huh...that's pretty weird.
38. A break room for security.
39. And some light reading material for the guards.
40. Heading upstairs.
41. Up high, I found what looks like a dish and earphones, aimed in the direction of the protest.
42. I went down, all the way down to the basement levels. There sure were a lot of them.
43. Very, very deep underground, I found this tunnel, with a sign saying "Gwacheon: 20 kilometers."
44. After about four hours of walking, I emerged at night, near this trashed government building, wondering where the hell I was.