No Young-min Stops Lurking and Reveals Presence

On the 16th, at the Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute in Daejeon, President Moon Jae-in, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, and Chief Secretary Noh Young-min (from right) are listening to the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission's departmental briefing.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] No Young-min, the Chief Presidential Secretary who had volunteered as a 'shadow aide,' is asserting his presence in the new year.

On the 16th, Chief Secretary No appeared on a radio program for the first time since his appointment to directly share his thoughts on current issues. In an interview with CBS's 'Sisa Jaki Jung Kwan-yong imnida,' No discussed his reflections on working at the Blue House over the past year, covering a wide range of issues including prosecution reform, inter-Korean relations, real estate policy, and diplomacy. When asked whether he reprimanded Kang Ki-jung, the Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, who recently faced public backlash after mentioning the possibility of reviewing a 'housing transaction permit system,' No candidly responded, "I met him in the morning and said, 'You messed up,'" showing his straightforward manner of speaking.

This is the first time since his appointment in January last year that Chief Secretary No has participated in an individual media interview. The Blue House stated that they accepted the interview request, which had been made several weeks prior. However, this marks a clear change from last year, when he maintained a 'low-profile managerial aide' approach, saying at the time of his appointment, "Both the Chief Secretary and Senior Secretaries are merely the president's secretaries."

On the same day, during the first ministry work briefing of the new year held in Daejeon, Chief Secretary No sat at the head table alongside President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun to listen to the reports. Since it was also Prime Minister Chung's first attendance, he shared the spotlight. It is protocol-wise acceptable for a minister-level Chief Secretary to sit at the head table. However, in the past, former Chief Secretary Im Jong-seok voluntarily took a seat in the rear, giving the minister in charge the seat next to President Moon to focus all attention on the ministry's report.

Chief Secretary No's increased public activity in the new year is interpreted as a sign of his intention to actively engage in government publicity, in line with President Moon's key phrase for this year's state affairs management: 'definite change.' Although he initially issued a 'ban on social network services (SNS)' to his aides right after his appointment, he has been communicating directly through his own Facebook account since last year.

However, amid ongoing criticism of the 'Blue House government,' opinions remain divided regarding the Chief Presidential Secretary stepping into the forefront. Some speculate that Chief Secretary No may run for the governorship of Chungcheong Province in the upcoming local elections, and cautious voices are already suggesting that he might be engaging in 'self-politics.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.