Tak Hyun-min: "Difficult to Understand the Consideration of Establishing the 2nd Secretariat"

Former Blue House Protocol Secretary Tak Hyun-min criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol’s indication of considering the establishment of a Second Secretariat after exercising his veto power on the so-called ‘Double Special Prosecutor Law’ (Daejang-dong 5 Billion Club and Kim Kun-hee’s Deutsche Motors stock manipulation special investigation), calling it "difficult to understand."

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee, having completed a state visit to the United Kingdom, arrived at London Stansted International Airport on November 23 last year (local time) by protocol vehicle to board Air Force One heading to Paris, France. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 9th, Tak appeared on MBC radio program ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus’ and stated that he does not support the establishment of the Second Secretariat. He said, "(President Yoon Seok-yeol) said he would not establish a Second Secretariat, but after his term actually began, the First Secretariat, which should directly assist the president, ended up encompassing the duties of the Second Secretariat, leading to many controversies and problems such as Kim Kun-hee’s overseas shopping."

He continued, "The original function of the Second Secretariat is to coordinate the First Lady’s schedule and messages and support those duties," adding, "The reason why the opposition party and many others initially called for the establishment of the Second Secretariat was to ensure that the minimal roles assigned within a basic framework could be carried out without difficulty. However, the fact that (Kim Kun-hee) herself caused strange incidents and then chose the Second Secretariat as a way to resolve them is logically inconsistent and an incomprehensible alternative."

He also pointed out, "The root of this incident is that Kim Kun-hee appears to have decided everything according to her own will and privatized the First Secretariat, similarly using the president’s authority and power, which is the problem."

He emphasized that the most important issue is who will occupy the position of head of the Second Secretariat. He added, "For example, if the person is someone who worked with (Kim Kun-hee) or an employee affiliated with Kobana, or someone who has had a long-standing relationship, and if that person cannot block instructions from Kim Kun-hee when they are unreasonable, then it would be meaningless."

Regarding the appointment of a special inspector, he said, "I think it is necessary, and many people already agree on that role." However, he drew a line by saying, "I do not think the special inspector can replace the special prosecutor," and emphasized, "The special prosecutor should be conducted separately."

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