The bodyguard who shadowed recently elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in during the country’s presidential campaign has become a star in his own right, and he doesn’t know why.
Pictures of 36-year-old Choi Young-jae on the campaign trail with Moon caught the Internet’s attention, and his “stunning handsomeness” has gone viral in the form of widely shared photos and screenshots, reports the Korea Times.
Choi, however, is baffled by the attention, he revealed in an interview with the Times. All that focus “does not feel real yet,” Choi said. “Attention should be paid to the president, not me. I don’t want to steal the limelight,” he added.
The former commando — he served 10 years in the country’s Special Warfare Command — revealed that he and Moon’s other bodyguards were all volunteers. “I just wanted to play a small role in helping Moon accomplish his long-cherished dream of rebuilding the country,” he told the Times.
The Times reports that, with Moon in the hands of South Korea’s presidential security detail now, the erstwhile bodyguard is taking a well-deserved break — much to the disappointment of his many admirers.
Read the full interview here.
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