Presidential Office: "Kim Tae-hyo's Failure to Salute Was a Mistake Caused by Not Spotting the National Flag"

Democratic Party Demands Kim Tae-hyo's "Pro-Japanese Treason, Dismissal"
Presidential Office Says "Error Due to Failure to Discover National Flag"

Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, is briefing on the outcomes of President Yoon Suk-yeol's visit to the Czech Republic and nuclear power plant sales at the Korean Press Center in Prague on the 19th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News.

The Presidential Office dismissed the Democratic Party of Korea's demand for the dismissal of Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, on the grounds that he "did not salute the national flag," stating that "it is of no benefit to the national interest."

On the afternoon of the 26th, the Presidential Office announced through the spokesperson's office, "The reason Kim Tae-hyo did not place his hand over his chest during the playing of the national anthem at the official welcoming ceremony during his visit to the Czech Republic was due to an error caused by not noticing the flag in the front right direction."

The Presidential Office explained, "Article 20, Clause 1 of the Enforcement Decree of the National Flag Act of the Republic of Korea stipulates that 'Citizens who can see the national flag shall salute the flag, and citizens who cannot see the flag but can only hear the anthem shall stand at attention facing that direction.'"

It added, "However, regarding the opposition party's demand for dismissal, pushing public officials responsible for South Korea's diplomatic security into the center of political strife is of no benefit whatsoever from the perspective of diplomatic and security national interests."

Earlier, Democratic Party lawmakers claimed that Kim did not salute the national flag at the official welcoming ceremony attended by the two heads of state during President Yoon Seok-yeol's summit in the Czech Republic on the 19th, and argued that he should be dismissed.

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Seon-won held a press conference at the National Assembly on the same day, accusing Kim of "pro-Japanese treason" and announced plans to propose a resolution demanding his dismissal. The resolution was signed by 51 Democratic Party lawmakers, including Park.