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Lee Jae-myung Administration Revives Extinguished 'Republic of Korea Blue House' Trademark

[비즈한국] It has been confirmed through Bizhankook's coverage that the Lee Jae-myung administration filed a trademark application for the Blue House (Cheong Wa Dae) in relation to presidential advisory duties immediately after taking office. This trademark right had expired in March of last year after the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which relocated the presidential office to Yongsan, failed to renew its registration. The revival of the Blue House trademark for presidential advisory services is interpreted as a symbolic gesture of the Lee Jae-myung administration's determination to relocate the presidential office back to the Blue House.

According to KIPRIS, the Korean Intellectual Property Office's search service, the Presidential Secretariat filed a trademark application for the name 'Republic of Korea Blue House' and the Blue House emblem on June 30. The designated goods (services) for which the trademark will be used are 'advisory services for presidential duties.' Following a request for priority examination by the Presidential Secretariat, the trademark passed the patent office's review and was published for opposition in July. If there are no objections, the published trademark will be officially registered two months after the announcement.

A trademark right refers to the exclusive right to use a symbol (trademark) that identifies products or services. According to trademark law, anyone currently using or intending to use a trademark in the future can register it. However, if a person who has registered a trademark does not use it for the designated goods or services for more than three years without a justifiable reason, the registration may be canceled. The duration of a trademark right is 10 years from the date of registration. If it is not renewed before this period ends, the trademark right expires.

Previously, the 'Republic of Korea Blue House' trademark right related to presidential advisory duties had expired during the previous administration. In March 2014, during the Park Geun-hye administration, the Presidential Secretariat registered the name 'Republic of Korea Blue House' and the Blue House emblem as a trademark, designating presidential advisory services. However, this trademark right expired due to the expiration of its term as the Yoon Suk-yeol administration did not renew the registration by the March deadline last year. The Yoon administration relocated the presidential office to the former Ministry of National Defense building in May 2022 and opened the Blue House to the public.

Currently, there are only two 'Republic of Korea Blue House' trademarks registered in Korea, both related to cultural facilities. Immediately after the expiration of the previous trademark, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration filed two trademark applications for the name 'Republic of Korea Blue House' and a modified Blue House emblem in April 2024. The designated services for these trademarks were 'work related to the utilization and management of the Blue House as a cultural facility' and miscellaneous items such as calendars, postcards, office supplies, and clocks, respectively. These trademarks were registered in July of the same year after passing the patent office's review. This was interpreted as an intention to use the Blue House solely as a cultural facility rather than for presidential advisory purposes.

President Lee Jae-myung has promised to relocate the presidential office to the Blue House since his days as a presidential candidate. In a JTBC interview last May, during his candidacy, he stated, "The Blue House is the best. It has been used for a very long time, has symbolism, and holds cultural value; there is no reason not to use it," adding, "We must renovate the Blue House as quickly as possible and move there." In fact, immediately after taking office in June, he established a new 'Management Secretary' position within the Presidential Secretariat as a temporary body to handle the return to the Blue House, and the cabinet approved a contingency fund bill related to the return. He also announced that he would resume using the official emblem used by the Blue House in the past.

The relocation of the presidential office to the Blue House is expected to take place within this year. Chief of Staff to the President Kang Hoon-sik stated in a press conference on the 19th, "Although no date or time has been set yet, we have confirmed the relocation will take place within the year." Prior to this, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated in a briefing last June, when the contingency fund for the return to the Blue House was approved, "We plan to select companies in a fair and transparent manner and arrange offices to enhance communication," and added, "The return to the Blue House will be carried out sequentially during weekends and holidays, not during working hours."

Meanwhile, public tours of the Blue House were temporarily suspended on the 1st for facility renovations and security checks related to the relocation of the presidential office. This comes approximately 3 years and 2 months after the Yoon Suk-yeol administration first opened the Blue House to the public.