In Charge of Both Constitution Day Ceremony and Presidential Appointment
"Content Must Not Be Biased Toward Either Ruling or Opposition Party"
Tak Hyunmin, Advisor for Event Planning to the Speaker of the National Assembly, confessed that he is struggling a lot with the concept for the upcoming Constitution Day ceremony. Previously, on June 12, Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Wonshik appointed Tak Hyunmin, who had served as a former protocol secretary and was often referred to as 'Moon Jaein's man,' as Advisor for Event Planning to the Speaker. As Tak is now preparing the Constitution Day ceremony, there is growing attention on the event, amid speculation that President Jae Myung Lee's inauguration ceremony (an event in which the president is appointed by the people) will also take place during this year's Constitution Day ceremony.
Tak Hyunmin, Advisor for Event Planning to the Speaker of the National Assembly, preparing for the Constitution Day ceremony. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
Appearing on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyunjung's News Show' on June 19, Tak said, "The Constitution Day event is somewhat different from previous presidential or national events." He continued, "I didn't think much about it because Constitution Day isn't usually a highly publicized national holiday, but yesterday I suddenly realized something new and became very concerned," he explained. "This is an event where both the ruling and opposition parties are clearly present, so if the content is biased in one direction, the other side could feel very uncomfortable."
Speaking about past Constitution Day ceremonies, he said, "After reviewing previous events, I noticed that the performances were limited to things like lion dances and traditional Korean music, which aren't very exciting," adding, "I wondered, 'Why did they prefer such colorless and bland performances?' but now I see there are reasons for it, and that's making me worry even more." He then joked, "Yesterday, I even sat alone thinking, 'Should I ask Kim Heungkook to sing 'March for the Beloved'?' I really have a lot to consider," adding, "I need to finalize the concept within this week." The singer Kim Heungkook, whom Tak mentioned, is known as one of the most prominent celebrities who support the People Power Party.
President Jae Myung Lee and Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva are holding a Korea-Brazil summit on the 17th (local time) at the G7 Summit venue in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Photo by Yonhap News
On the same day, Tak also commented on President Jae Myung Lee, who attended the Group of Seven (G7) Summit. He said, "Even though it was his first time meeting the world leaders, he appeared quite approachable," and continued, "The very fact that he attended the G7 is quite significant. It's only two weeks before the event, and the lineup hasn't even been finalized. Nothing is fully prepared, but since it's his diplomatic debut, he must have been under a lot of pressure to both look the part and deliver results."
He also compared President Jae Myung Lee to former President Yoon Sukyeol, who had shown a passive attitude on the stage of past summits. Tak said, "At diplomatic events, former President Yoon would always sit alone, looking sullen. It was unusual," and added, "Normally, leaders try to engage more, even making small talk. That's the duty of a president attending a summit. Former President Yoon was the odd one; President Lee isn't being excessive at all."
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