Tak Hyun-min: "Yoon Administration Lacks Detail in Public Relations and Protocol"

Appearing on KBS Radio: "When Details Are Lacking, Sincerity Disappears"

"The President's Spouse Should Be Systematically Managed. A Second Secretariat Is Needed"

Tak Hyun-min, former Blue House Protocol Secretary. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Former Blue House Protocol Secretary Tak Hyunmin evaluated the overall event management, including publicity and protocol, of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration as "lacking in detail."

On the 13th, Tak appeared on KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' and said, "There are ultimately two things that move and impress the public: one is reality, and the other is detail." He added, "Even if you express sincerity clumsily, it often fails to resonate, and if the details are flashy, it feels insincere. The Moon Jae-in administration made considerable efforts for that."

Tak cited an example revealing the lack of detail in the Yoon administration's publicity and protocol when President Yoon visited the flooded semi-basement area in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, where casualties occurred due to heavy rain last month. At that time, the Presidential Office created a promotional card news featuring photos of the president inspecting the site, which sparked controversy.

Regarding this, Tak said, "There was no prior attention to whether it was appropriate for the president to squat down and make such remarks and actions at that place." He added, "(The president) must have been truly heartbroken to go there and see it, but because of the lack of detail, the sincerity disappears. That's why I advised several times to use professionals."

Earlier, Tak also criticized the part of President Yoon's newly changed civil defense uniform that had a 'President' name tag. In a post on Facebook on the 8th, he pointed out, "In disaster, war, and crisis situations, the personal safety of the nation's highest leader is naturally the top priority. Therefore, the civil defense uniform worn by the president should not be distinguished from other civil defense uniforms." He added, "This is common sense and the most basic presidential dress code."

Tak also evaluated the ruling party's counterattack demanding the disclosure of former President Moon Jae-in's wife Kim Jung-sook's clothing expenses in relation to allegations about First Lady Kim Geon-hee's expensive jewelry as "opening a hellgate" for the People Power Party. He said, "I think there are matters related to the president and the first lady, or the president, that do not need to be revealed or dragged out unnecessarily." He added, "(The controversy over Kim Jung-sook's clothing expenses) was confirmed to be completely unproblematic, but from then on, attention inevitably turned to the first lady's attire and jewelry."

He continued, "Although the first lady is not an elected official, she is given treatment or roles beyond that of an elected official. I think this should be institutionalized." He criticized, "Currently, there is no second secretariat dedicated to the first lady, and the secretariat responsible for the president also takes responsibility for the first lady or even creates her directives and schedule, which I consider a rather abnormal structure."

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