Tak Hyun-min, Who Introduced 'President's Gift,' Says "False Claims Are as Bad as Forgery"

Tak Hyun-min: "Forgery of the President's Signature Is a Crime"

Tak Hyun-min, Protocol Secretary at the Blue House, attended the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the morning of the 22nd of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Tak Hyunmin, Protocol Secretary at the Blue House, listed the types of presidential gifts on the 7th and pointed out that "forging the president's signature or emblem is a crime." This appears to be a warning message following reports that Kim Mo (43), a so-called "fake seafood businessman" accused of bribing prosecutors, police, and journalists, flaunted his closeness to President Moon Jae-in with bottles and cups of alcohol engraved with the Blue House logo.

On the same day, Secretary Tak wrote on his Facebook, "On major holidays, awards, overseas trips, or for special occasions where the president or the first lady personally meets the recipient or visitors to the Blue House, gifts are given in the name of the president and the first lady."

He added, "These are different from items sold at the Blue House store or gifts under the name of government ministries; you could call them 'official presidential' gifts. Such gifts exist."

He continued, "Representative examples include the presidential watch known as the 'Ini Watch' and comprehensive gift sets sent during holidays like Chuseok and Seollal. Occasionally, tea cup sets or wall clocks are given instead of watches. These are usually the basic items," he explained.

He further said, "In addition, there are occasionally gifts with special meanings. For example, tea made from grains personally harvested by the president and first lady is produced as a limited winter edition and sent to quarantine sites. Also, a small number of neckties and scarves used by the president in speeches are made and gifted to lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties."

Secretary Tak also mentioned, "More specially, there are cases where gifts are prepared specifically for certain individuals, such as the 'Hosinmunjang Sword' gifted to the recently retired Commander Abrams, or knee blankets given to Sisters Marianne and Margaret during the recent Austria trip."

He added, "Presidential gifts often come with messages on cards or letterheads embossed with a gold phoenix emblem, or the presidential emblem is printed even on the packaging. The president's signature and emblem cannot be arbitrarily duplicated and can only be used according to internal regulations; unauthorized use is punishable."

In conclusion, he said, "Just because a gift has a phoenix drawn on it, one might think it is a presidential gift if they have never received one, but forging the president's signature or emblem without thought is a crime. Making unfounded claims related to presidential gifts is as bad as 'forgery,'" he strongly stated.

Tea cup set revealed by Tak Hyun-min, Protocol Secretary at the Blue House. Photo by Secretary Tak, Facebook capture.

Meanwhile, Kim, who was arrested on fraud charges, reportedly flaunted his closeness to President Moon to those around him. It is known that inside his home, there were displayed photo sets of President Moon and his wife, along with gift sets of bottles and cups engraved with the Blue House logo.

However, it was reported that Kim was not present in the photos with the presidential couple, and the origin of the gifts bearing the Blue House logo is unclear.

Regarding this, the Blue House criticized Kim, saying, "He comprehensively shows typical fraudulent behavior."

Park Suhyun, Chief of Public Communication at the Blue House, appeared on MBC Radio's "Kim Jongbae's Focus" on the same day and said about Kim possessing photos of President Moon, letters, and gift sets of bottles and cups, "There is a place called Sarangchae in front of the Blue House where ordinary tourists visit. Items sold there can be purchased. What the president sends is completely different because it is engraved with the president's phoenix emblem and handwritten signature. This clearly shows typical fraudulent behavior," he strongly stated.

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