Tak Hyun-min: "If anyone picks a fight with President Moon after his term, I will bite back... I hope he enjoys the rest of his life"

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The special dialogue interview between President Moon Jae-in and former JTBC anchor Sohn Suk-hee was broadcast on JTBC on the 25th and 26th. Photo by the Blue House [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Tak Hyun-min, Protocol Secretary at the Blue House, expressed his hope that "after leaving office, the political circles and others would not pick on President Moon Jae-in. If they do, I will bite back," adding, "I hope he lives the rest of his life happily." President Moon has repeatedly stated that he intends to live a forgotten life after his retirement.

On the morning of the 27th, Secretary Tak appeared on YTN Radio's 'News King with Park Ji-hoon' and said, "President Moon will make tremendous efforts to be forgotten after leaving office," and added, "I sincerely hope President Moon lives the rest of his life happily after retirement." He further explained, "Being forgotten does not mean disappearing or going into hiding, but rather managing his daily life quietly, which is a much more accurate understanding."

Secretary Tak also shared his stance on the controversy surrounding the interview dialogue between President Moon and former anchor Sohn Suk-hee, which was released by JTBC the previous day. Regarding the criticism from the People Power Party calling it 'double standards,' he responded, "I believe the double standards have already been taken by them," and added, "There are many times when I feel the opposition party is not making enough effort in their choice of expressions." He also directly criticized, "These days, expressions like 'Lee Jun double standards' (referring to Lee Jun-seok's double standards) and the 'rules of President-elect Yoon Seok-youl' resonate more, implying they have their own rules and standards. I think the opposition should develop more critical expressions."

Regarding criticism from some of President Moon's supporters that "former anchor Sohn was rude by asking tough questions," he said, "They might feel that way, but I believe it was natural for Sohn to play that role," and defended Sohn by saying, "He represented the issues raised by our media over the past five years, and only sharp, sensitive, and aggressive questions could bring out the parts the president cherished."

Secretary Tak added, "I think this setup is more appropriate to reveal the president's final reflections on controversial matters." He also said, "The president was very satisfied with the interview and returned to the residence," and "I felt he said everything he wanted to say. I believe he addressed all the various suspicions and frames surrounding the entire Moon Jae-in administration, including those he could not actively refute before."

On September 10 last year, President Moon Jae-in was talking with Protocol Secretary Tak Hyun-min ahead of a virtual summit with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the 'autocratic presidential system frame attack' mentioned by President Moon in the interview, Secretary Tak explained, "It was a remark urging us to consider both sides?whether the president ever used the powers granted to him at will or whether he thought he could use them arbitrarily." He further explained, "When the president exercises his granted powers, it is called autocratic leadership, and if he does not exercise them, people say he is 'frustrating' or 'ineffective.' I understand this to mean that the president's powers must be exercised within the Constitution and that even presidential powers should be exercised while reading public opinion and the people's thoughts."

Earlier, in the interview with former anchor Sohn, President Moon questioned, "Was I an autocratic president?" and pointed out, "During my term, a distorted frame called 'autocratic president' was in operation." He said, "Our presidential system is not autocratic at all but very democratic. The president's powers are defined by the Constitution and are not overwhelmingly strong powers that can be wielded arbitrarily. Actions must be taken within the law," and added, "An autocratic president is one who, during the authoritarian era and its legacy, exercised extralegal powers beyond those defined by the Constitution or laws. I believe this frame was used to attack me."

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