South Koreans view the Blue House as a symbol of "unchecked power," Yonsei University sociology professor Kim Dong-no told The Wall Street Journal.
Yoon's political opponents have accused him of listening to the readings of Fengshui practitioners and prioritizing their advice over national security.
Fengshui practitioners consider the location of the Blue House to be inauspicious due to the misfortunes of past presidents, Reuters reported. In South Korea's 25-year democratic history, four out of six presidents have either been jailed or died from suicide after leaving office.
"People suspect that the move was motivated by shamans' advice that the location of the Blue House is cursed," Democratic Party politician Cho Jeong-sik told the South China Morning Post.
In a briefing, the outgoing Moon administration said they felt the rushed relocation efforts could "create a security vacuum and confusion" amidst rising tensions with the North, per Reuters.
The relocation to a Yongsan defense military compound will cost an estimated 49.6 billion won ($40.1 million), according to figures provided by South Korea's Ministry of Economy and Finance in a press conference, per Reuters.