<Chapter 7>
During this protocol event, Secretary Seo was taking shelter from the rain under the eaves of a military facility, having assigned the task of accompanying and interpreting for Director Kang Hee-jae to Kim Eun-woo. The torrential downpour, which had blanketed the city in an instant, caused the state welcome ceremony to conclude earlier than expected.
At that moment, near the end of the ceremony, someone approached Secretary Seo as she observed the protocol proceedings. It was an etiquette officer from the President’s Office.
The two of them stood side by side under the eaves, watching the rain soak Hose Gaz and exchanging words. Though the loud splashes of water at their feet made their conversation inaudible, the tension in their set jaws suggested the seriousness of their discussion.
Meanwhile, the official welcome ceremony concluded. The president, accompanied by the king and queen, boarded the golden carriage and departed from Hose Gaz.
After the royal couple’s exit, the remaining members of the state visit delegation made their way through the rain toward the official protocol bus. Among them were Kim Eun-woo, holding an umbrella with precise formality, and Director Kang Hee-jae.
Despite her pageant-honed poise, Kim Eun-woo kept pace effortlessly with the tall strides of Director Kang, maintaining a steady walk alongside her superior.
“That female protocol officer seems to have been added to the roster this morning. If she’s a local staffer, please share her contact info with our team as well,” one remarked.
The “female protocol officer” referred to Kim Eun-woo. Both sets of eyes followed her and Director Kang as they moved.
“On our side, there aren’t many who handle protocol properly. But, well, since she’s internal to Seomgwang, we can’t really deploy her externally anyway.”
“So she is from Seomgwang Group, then.”
Secretary Seo nodded, recalling events from a month and a half before the state visit.
Ahead of the state visit, Director Kang Hee-jae had decided to travel to the UK without a dedicated protocol team. Upon hearing this, Secretary Seo had fumed, practically yelling that she could no longer work under such conditions.
A mishandled diplomatic protocol wouldn’t just tarnish Seomgwang’s reputation—it could embarrass the entire country. Everyone had been anxious to ensure things went smoothly, even if it meant hiring external protocol specialists. Yet here, with no additional personnel, she was to be the sole escort to London.
Secretary Seo had insisted that at least a skilled protocol secretary be assigned. She had been frantic, insisting that handling diplomatic protocol alone would be impossible. Director Kang had simply dismissed her anger with a single line:
“London has an excellent protocol secretary.”
Presumably, that “excellent protocol secretary” referred to Kim Eun-woo.
Contrary to her initial worries, once the protocol began in earnest, Kim Eun-woo proved her excellence without question.
Her tall stature and impeccable posture, the precise angle of her bow, even the way she raised her hand—all were textbook examples of protocol conduct. Among many officers, she stood out unmistakably.
It was a relief. Seeing this, the worry that had shadowed Secretary Seo’s face melted away.
“Secretary Seo.”
She snapped back from her recollection when the protocol officer requested, “Please speak well to Director Kang.” Secretary Seo muttered her acknowledgment and exchanged a brief greeting before running through the rain to the waiting vehicle.
Breaking through the downpour, she reached the car and pulled the rear door handle on the driver’s side.
Once inside, Secretary Seo relayed, with a troubled expression, the unreasonable request conveyed by the protocol officer to Director Kang Hee-jae.
“The President’s Office etiquette officer has made an unusual request. They want you to accompany the President for all scheduled events today—this includes the parliamentary speech and Buckingham Palace itinerary.”
Her eyes fell on Director Kang’s shoulders in the rear passenger seat. Despite Kim Eun-woo holding an umbrella, one of his shoulders was soaked. This was due entirely to the rigid hierarchy of protocol.
Under formalized protocol rankings, the President and ministers—being the main figures—stood under the canopy, while the esteemed director had to endure the rain below the podium. In diplomacy, government officials receive the spotlight; business executives are merely ornamental. Even so, Director Kang had made a show of gratitude when the President’s Office adjusted the dinner entrance order.
─“Secretary Seo, let’s have a quick word.”
─“Yes, Officer. You must have been startled by the sudden morning notice. Nevertheless, thank you for reconsidering the dinner entrance order.”
─“The one requesting the change is someone influential. Reversing the order has displeased the chairpersons following Director Kang, putting us in an awkward position.”
─“We apologize.”
─“I say this with apology in mind, but please allow one request from us.”
─“A request?”
─“Since the Director emphasized the UK connection with the Order of the British Empire, we hope for a fitting representation of that association.”
─“A fitting representation, you mean…?”
─“Let’s highlight Seomgwang’s connection with the British royal family. Who knows, the young director’s presence may act as diplomatic grease between our countries.”
Though terms like “fitting” and “grease” were used, the underlying intent was clear.
The young British crown prince couple had received the president and escorted them to the ceremony venue before the official welcome. The scene had quickly attracted media attention, drawn to the red-and-blue ceremonial attire symbolizing the Taegeuk pattern.
Some say diplomacy follows reciprocity, but that is only superficial. Behind the scenes, diplomacy is a calculated struggle for visibility and influence.
The presence of the young crown prince couple had upset the delicate balance of attention, shifting early media focus to the UK. Secretary Seo saw that the President’s Office’s suggestion was a clever way to use the youngest member of the delegation, Director Kang Hee-jae, as the face to redirect publicity back to South Korea.
Yet it was uncertain whether this would benefit Director Kang personally.
“Given that the director has not been previously exposed to the media, excessive exposure could be problematic. In addition, diplomatic missteps in such non-business settings can be magnified. If the director refuses…”
“Then I suppose there’s no choice but to comply.”
“Yes, if told to comply… um?”
“I understand. The young director will energize the scene, support the President’s reputation, and smooth over any displeasure caused by the rearranged dinner order.”
“R-right… Then should we return to the hotel to change attire…?”
The answer came from the front passenger seat.
“With the schedule taking us directly to Parliament, stopping by the hotel would be tight. However, since it’s an indoor schedule, removing the coat should suffice.”
Director Kang nodded in understanding.
“I’ll follow the expert’s advice.”
With that, he removed his rain-soaked coat. Secretary Seo took the coat from him. The raglan-sleeved coat was heavy with water, but the suit jacket beneath remained completely dry.
“Not a drop of rain…?”
Kim Eun-woo answered.
“Yes, Secretary Seo. The Balmacaan coat is designed for this purpose. It’s common here.”
From the glove box, Kim Eun-woo retrieved a small box, opening it to reveal a flower-shaped brooch.
“Director, for the next events, let’s attach this brooch to your jacket.”
“Agreed.”
Secretary Seo, observing the brooch in Kim Eun-woo’s hand, noticed it resembled the red poppies worn by British officials on their lapels.
“Earlier, I saw the British officials all wearing red flowers on their lapels…”
“That’s right, Secretary Seo. It’s a poppy brooch, as the UK is observing Remembrance Week.”
Only now did Secretary Seo understand why Director Kang had called Kim Eun-woo an excellent protocol secretary.
Not only was she perfectly prepared for the weather, but she also ensured he paid proper homage to Britain’s Remembrance Week.
Moreover, just as the crown prince couple’s attire symbolized the Taegeuk pattern, Director Kang’s clothing subtly evoked the Union Flag with its deep blue shade.
Kim Eun-woo had grasped the sentiments of the people present, not just the appearance of protocol. Suddenly, a thought struck her.
“This might actually work.”
Against her earlier worries, a hopeful sense about the upcoming protocol settled in her mind.
The intense schedule continued into the second day of the state visit. HJ, as part of the delegation, fully participated in both days’ events, honoring the President’s Office’s expectations.
After the second day’s events, Eun-woo returned to the hotel utterly exhausted.
Her legs ached from standing all day, but having fulfilled her duties, she entered the room upright, prompting Director Kang to acknowledge her.
“You both worked hard today.”
Bowing in response to his praise, Eun-woo and Secretary Seo acknowledged him. Director Kang then proceeded to his own room.
Click.
Once the door closed, Secretary Seo stretched her arms overhead, and Eun-woo exhaled in relief.
“Two days straight of non-stop work. The President’s Office certainly knows how to keep us busy. Well, let’s move on to the final task for today.”
Despite her body feeling like lead from the doubled schedule, returning to the hotel was not the end of the day’s duties.
The “final task” mentioned by Secretary Seo involved sitting across the dining table, which doubled as a workspace, and drafting the press release.
“Eun-woo, please summarize everything the director did today—who he met, what he discussed—following the five Ws and one H. I’ll handle the responses to inquiries from the press center.”
“Yes, I’ll have it done within thirty minutes.”
The drafts produced by Secretary Seo and Kim Eun-woo would be sent to Seomgwang headquarters, where PR specialists would refine them into official press releases.
These releases, in both Korean and English, would then be forwarded to the Korea-UK Press Center, where journalists would publish articles in both countries.
Already, the media was saturated with coverage of the state visit. According to reports from Seomgwang headquarters, search traffic related to HJ was the highest among all members of the delegation.
Although the government intended for HJ to serve merely as a public face, he had unexpectedly captured public attention and dominated the conversation.
Some articles even made it to the portal homepage with notable public acclaim:
“Director Over Flowers: The Next-Generation Entrepreneur Who Captivated Both Korea and the UK with Poppy Diplomacy”
