[Interview] Tak Hyun-min Publishes 'Mr. President'... "I Don't Mind Being Called a 'Showman'"

[People Met Through Books]
Good Politics Shows Truth and Sincerity
Efforts to Reflect the President's Philosophy in Events

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] "The president's schedule is essentially the president's philosophy, and what a nation chooses to commemorate defines its identity."

Former Secretary Tak Hyun-min served as the person in charge of the president's schedule for five years during the Moon Jae-in administration, spreading the president's philosophy. Once what to honor was decided, he pondered how to commemorate it. He assisted the president as a Senior Administrative Officer (2017), Presidential Event Planning Advisory Committee Member (2019), and Protocol Secretary (2020). With the belief that "good politics is about showing the people truth and sincerity," he planned 1,195 Blue House events over 1,825 days. To raise public awareness, he designed the carbon neutrality declaration speech in black and white, accompanied the fianc?e of a soldier who postponed their wedding to deploy with the Ark Unit stationed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), introduced the Old Lang Syne version of the national anthem sung by patriot Oh Hee-ok at the 72nd Liberation Day ceremony (a version with lyrics set to a Scottish folk tune, sung by independence activists in the past), and created the 73rd Armed Forces Day ceremony that moved beyond the parade ground to the Marado landing ship, combining "operation + training + ceremony" concepts to provide meaningful and engaging content. Especially, the 73rd Armed Forces Day ceremony was so successful that President Moon Jae-in, who was usually sparing with praise for close aides, gave the highest compliments and warm encouragement with a quick glance (to Blue House staff at the time). Some dismissed such attempts as hollow "shows," but there is no disagreement that the innovative planning increased public attention. On the 25th, we met former Blue House Protocol Secretary Tak Hyun-min, who revealed these anecdotes in his book "Mr. President (Medici)."

Secretary Tak Hyun-min rehearsing ahead of the South Korean art troupe's performance in Pyongyang on April 27, 2018.

- As you revealed in your book, you often faced criticism of "putting on a show" during your time at the Blue House.

▲ Politics is about showing through words and actions. Good politics is showing truth and sincerity, while bad politics shows desire and greed. Politics is "showing." It is shown through speeches, debates, policies, sometimes ceremonies, and the president's schedule. So, the phrase "putting on a show" never sounded like a bad word to me.

- However, there is no disagreement that your planning and directing skills are outstanding.

▲ Like any work, if you repeat one task for a long time, you can make it look "plausible." It is the result of long training and sometimes imitation of others, reaching that level. But the truly important thing is to create something different. Ultimately, originality and distinctiveness are the most important virtues in planning and directing. It's not about how to do it, but about attitude. New planning and different directing come from the attitude toward things, events, and situations.

- What do you think constitutes good planning?

▲ Planning is not about creating something new but rather renewing something already made. Brilliant ideas or fresh thoughts alone do not complete planning; they are rather secondary. I believe that exploring the essence of what you want to do is more important. To approach the essence, a clear sense of purpose is necessary. The clearer the reason for doing it, the better.

- What did you worry about most while planning?

▲ When creating national commemorations and presidential events, I always first considered how to embody the essence of the ceremony and the president's philosophy. Sometimes we did well, sometimes not, but the important thing is that the Moon Jae-in administration made such efforts. Details are also important. Finding the essence and immersing in the theme with "sincerity," along with "details" that may seem trivial but reveal that sincerity, make the event stand out.

- Is there a particular event you paid special attention to or that remains memorable?

▲ It was when preparing the repatriation ceremony of General Hong Beom-do's remains. When the remains of General Hong Beom-do, returning to the liberated homeland after 101 years, first set foot in South Korea, I pondered what music to use. Independence army songs, "Spring in My Hometown," the national anthem... After considering various songs, we finally chose the national anthem set to the tune of Old Lang Syne. This was the version of the national anthem sung before the current melody was established. We could have chosen background music without much thought or even no music, but imagining how General Hong Beom-do would feel stepping on his homeland alive, and what song would come to mind, the old melody of the national anthem was the most appropriate.

- Looking back on your time at the Blue House, what reflections do you have?

▲ I often thought of it as a relay race. When I took on the role, it was not a matter divided between the end of the previous government and the start of the new one. Rather, there were many cases where we inherited the achievements of the previous government as a legacy and started from there. It seems like an endless relay from the previous government to the current and then to the next.

- Although you seemed to have fully demonstrated your skills, there must have been many difficulties.

▲ Most public offices bear more responsibility than the authority granted. Moreover, even that authority is not easily exercised at will. Sometimes I see people say, "Give me full authority, and I will produce the desired results." I do not trust such people; I consider them amateurs. From what I observed, even the president does not have much freedom to act as he pleases. These days, I am not so sure... Anyway, this was the hardest part. There were times when I had to bear responsibility beyond my authority. When I had to take responsibility for issues beyond my control, I felt angry and that it was unfair. There were times I thought about quitting, but someone told me, "Public service is not a job but a calling." If you think of it as a job, quitting is right, but if you see it as a calling, you can endure it. That advice helped me through five years.

- As a predecessor and expert, what are your thoughts on the current presidential office's "showing"?

▲ Sincerity takes precedence over details. Sincerity cannot be evaluated but felt, and I do not see what sincerity is in the current government. Therefore, details are also absent. It is at an unevaluable level.

- You said former President Moon Jae-in rarely praised his staff. Why was that?

▲ Former President Moon was strict with those close to him or himself and lenient with those distant. I was psychologically and physically close. It is not hard to guess why he did not praise me. It might have been different if I had been distant from the president.

- How was President Moon Jae-in as a person, having seen him up close?

▲ It seems President Moon wanted to be treated only as the president inside the office. He appeared to want to exclude personal feelings such as acquaintances, people he knew, or close people as much as possible.

The day before the president's retirement, President Moon Jae-in and Secretary Tak Hyun-min are embracing at a surprise event at the Blue House.

- How can people meet you through your activities? If you liken life to a "show," how is Tak Hyun-min's show being planned?

▲ Currently, my scheduled activities include participating in a performance ongoing in Paris and a global mentoring program. After that, I do not know. People have usefulness and roles; usefulness depends on one's effort, but roles require the right era, environment, and conditions. Having ability does not guarantee being used, and lacking ability does not mean being unused. So, there is no other way but to increase my usefulness. However, I want to stay far from politics or political matters in the future. I do not know if that is possible, but I want to leave only human relationships and be free from any political interests or positions.