South Korea swoons over new leader’s ‘handsome squad’

While most of the attention in South Korea has been on the onerous challenges facing the country's new leader Moon Jae-in, many are paying more attention to the government's "handsome squad" of good-looking public officials that includes the president himself.

The normally staid Korea Herald has run a story headlined "President Moon's 'reign of beauty'" and the attention is similar to that paid to the early days of the "Camelot" presidency of John F Kennedy and his entourage.

Although the debate seems frivolous, it is also emblematic of the more open style of government that the liberal leader has promised to introduce, and comes in marked contrast to the dire final months of his predecessor Park Geun-hye’s administration, which ended in her impeachment and imprisonment.

“He will be the first handsome president of Korea,” wrote one commentator of the former special forces soldier and human rights lawyer, a line which Moon’s predecessors might find a tad uncharitable.

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They were referring to photographs of the new leader released early in the campaign which showed him as a young man in commando uniform, wearing a beret and carrying military equipment.

Also focus of attention is Moon’s bodyguard Choi Young-jae, who appeared first on the web portal Daum and has been described as “sultry”, with “elegant” bone structure. Tens of thousands have visited the blog to view the discussion on Choi (36), who is an officer with South Korea’s special warfare command. “He is ‘unfortunately’ married and has two daughters,” the president’s office said earlier this month.

Rugged features

This hasn’t stopped thousands of fans writing on social media about Choi’s rugged features.

“If I charge towards the South Korean president, will this bodyguard tackle me?” wrote one Twitter user named Laura, in a slightly alarming post which echoes the obsessive messages online about South Korea’s beloved K-Pop boy bands.

Others have posted Whitney Houston singing I Will Always Love You from the movie The Bodyguard, which also features a hunky guardian.

Other members of the "handsome squad" include Im Jong-seok, the new chief of staff at the presidential residence, the Blue House. During his time as student politician in Hanyang University, ardent student admirers would steal his campaign posters.

Another heartthrob is senior presidential civil affairs secretary Cho Kuk, who told the Busan Daily that devotees would leave dairy drinks or chocolate snacks on his seat in the library as a sign of affection.

Any comparison to the satirical website The Onion’s award of “Sexiest Man Alive” to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back in 2012 are most definitely coincidental.