A short — yet refined — answer is the answer

But the problem is the unceasing mismatch between what he said and what he meant to say.

Kim Hyun-kiThe author is the Tokyo bureau chief and rotating correspondent of the JoongAng Ilbo. This is an episode from the cozy evening drinking between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during Yoon’s visit to Tokyo last month. A skilled beer bartender was waiting for the VIPs to arrive at Rengatei, one of the oldest Western-style restaurants in Japan, in the Ginza district and famous as the birthplace of Yoon’s favorite dish, omurice (fried rice wrapped in an egg omlette).

The old-style restaurant only serves Santori beer. But it was effectively persuaded by the office of the prime minister to make an exception for the Korean guest, a fan of the Yebisu brand of Sapporo Breweries. So, the restaurant brought in a tank of the brand. An expert from Sapporo who can pour the beer at the best angle and pace also stood by. The dinner was perfectly set now.

The two leaders enjoyed their meal and drink with Kishida heartily humored by Yoon’s company. Although the tete-a-tete ended in 48 minutes, their chemistry seemed to be more than perfect. Kishida had to take several hangover pills in the following morning. The office of the prime minister said the meeting was the most enjoyable and impressive one after the Abe-Trump meeting in 2019. Though Yoon could not draw apologies from Kishida over past issues during the visit, the two certainly hit it off in Tokyo.

Former president Kim Young-sam could be compared to Yoon in casualness and unpretentiousness. After a dinner with then-prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, Kim held Hashimoto’s hand and said, “We agreed that he calls me ‘big brother’,” instantly freezing all the aides from both sides. In greeting U.S. President Bill Clinton in 1993, president Kim asked, “Who are you?” instead of “How are you?” Clinton humorously responded, “I’m Hillary’s husband.”

But there is a difference between their styles. While Kim was an ineloquent speaker, Yoon speaks too much. There is a huge difference in political experience, too. While Kim’s slips of the tongue made him look more likeable, Yoon’s slips make him easy prey for attacks on his unrefined language originating with his long career as a prosecutor.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has an interview with NBC in the Blair House in Washington, Apr. 24, during his state visit to the United States. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Yoon could say he is misunderstood. But time has changed. Politics became tougher, and international geopolitics and the media environment have also become more hostile toward politicians. Many forces are just waiting for the president to foul up. Regardless of his personal charm, blurting out comments that should not be made could be fatally damaging.

Yoon’s comment in an interview with the Washington Post ahead of his U.S. trip went viral. He said, “Outright attacks for what happened 100 years ago and unconditional demands for kneeling from Japan are not acceptable.” The presidential office immediately corrected the intention of the comment. It said the president had meant to say that such a negative approach cannot help improve future relations of the two countries.

But the problem is the unceasing mismatch between what he said and what he meant to say. During his visit to the United Arab Emirates, Yoon provoked controversy with his comment that the UAE’s enemy is Iran. The foreign ministry explained the president had meant to encourage Korean soldiers who were stationed in the Middle East. When Yoon said, “We also can have nuclear,” the presidential office had to explain that he made the remarks to show his determination to protect the people. But it is really hard to decipher what message the president really wanted to deliver.

After the controversy with the Washington Post interview, Yoon seems to have learned a lesson. In an interview with NBC upon arrival in the U.S., he responded to the question of a friend spying on a friend in reference to the recent leak of classified documents showing the U.S. gathering intelligence on Korea. Yoon answered that though such eavesdropping cannot take place between friends, it can between countries. “What matters is trust. With trust, the relationship between countries cannot be shaken,” he said. On the possibility of providing arms to Ukraine in the war with Russia, Yoon said that the thought on lethal aid could change “in the event of a large-scale civilian attack,” as Korea cannot neglect joint endeavors with the international community. The short yet refined response is commendable. That is required from a head of state.

Just a note: the presidential office omitted the subject of the verb “kneel” when it released the Korean text to the public to calm the controversy. A spokesperson of the president’s People Power Party attributed it to the paper’s mistranslation of the Korean text. The WP interviewer posted the full version of the Korean text on social media. WP headquarters had planned to release the audio version upon the claim of misrepresentation, but gave up. The presidential office could have faced a bigger embarrassment if the paper had released the audio version.