A picture shows the reception room inside the residence of late former President Kim Dae-jung and former First Lady Lee Hee-ho, located in Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The Kyunghyang Shinmun DB

The residence of late former President Kim Dae-jung in Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, which was sold to a private individual in July last year, is currently undergoing the process of being listed as a nationally registered cultural heritage site, without being repurchased by the government or local authorities.

According to coverage by the Kyunghyang Shinmun on May 8, the Mapo-gu Office submitted an application for cultural heritage registration to the Seoul Metropolitan Government in November last year. The application recently passed the city’s review process. Once Seoul submits the application to the Korea Heritage Service, the agency will make the final decision on whether to list the property. Park Cheon-ki, CEO of First Coffee Lab and current owner of the residence, also submitted a letter of consent for cultural heritage registration to the Mapo-gu Office shortly after purchasing the property last year.

The Korea Heritage Service is expected to decide on the listing within this year. News that the residence had been sold to a private party last year sparked controversy over the possibility of it being converted into a café. While discussions were held over potential repurchase by the government or local authorities, the final decision appears to be to proceed with cultural heritage designation while the residence remains in Park’s ownership.

If listed, the residence will be legally protected under the Cultural Heritage Protection Act and become eligible for government support for its preservation and management. As the owner of a registered cultural property, Park will be subject to the “duty of a good manager,” meaning the property cannot be freely sold or altered, which typically diminishes its value as a real estate asset.

An official from the Mapo-gu Office said, “We suggested it would be ideal for the district office to repurchase the residence for stable management, but we understand that Park has no intention to sell it.”

The residence in Donggyo-dong is historically significant as the place where Kim lived after losing the presidential election in 1971 and where he endured political oppression, kidnapping, and house arrest. Although he temporarily moved out after being elected as the 15th president of Korea, he returned after leaving office and lived there until his death. The residence is regarded not only as a personal living space but also as a living symbol of Korea’s democratic history.

In a phone interview with the Kyunghyang Shinmun, Park said, “President Kim Dae-jung was a respected figure beyond political divides. I purchased his residence with the intention of preserving it from the beginning.”

He added, “At the time, the property was just about to be auctioned off. Kim Hong-gul, whom I knew personally, asked for help as he was struggling to pay inheritance taxes. I believed it was meaningful to preserve the residence and decided to purchase it.”

Regarding the controversy over converting the property into a café, Park said, “It’s true that I run a café,” but added, “With time, people will come to understand my true intentions.”

The Mapo-gu Office plans to continue discussions with Park and related institutions on ways to preserve and manage the residence. It is also working on renaming a nearby street to “Kim Dae-jung-gil (Kim Dae-jung Road).”

Taking into account the residence’s historical and symbolic significance, the district has formed the “Committee for the Preservation of President Kim Dae-jung’s Residence in Donggyo-dong” in cooperation with the late president’s family and the Kim Dae-jung Foundation. The committee, chaired by Park Kang-soo, head of the Mapo-gu Office, will continue to discuss issues such as future operation, the composition of exhibits for a memorial hall, and public access after the heritage designation is finalized.