Revealing the reason why the Korean president's handsome bodyguard... quit his job

Fans of South Korean President Moon Jae-in's handsome bodyguard Choi Young-jae will be disappointed to no longer see their idol by the leader's side in the near future.

Many people will regret not seeing the impressive face of Mr. Choi Young-jae in the presidential guard. Photo: Twitter

Twitter user Elena Yip is credited with discovering Choi Young-jae's photogenic and masculine face among the suit-clad bodyguards standing behind the new South Korean president.

And after nearly 25,000 retweets and more than 57,000 shares of Ms. Yip's post, bodyguard Choi has become one of the most sought-after faces online.

The person himself also appeared surprised and extremely embarrassed about his popularity, saying he did not want to "steal the attention" that should have been focused on President Moon Jae-in.

However, no one can stop the online community's frenzy, even if the target is the president. Some people even think that Choi Young-jae is an Asian and more handsome version of actor Kevin Costner, who starred in the 1992 blockbuster "The Bodyguard".

His face is compared to actor Kevin Costner in the 1992 blockbuster "The Bodyguard". Photo: Twitter

The Korea Times reported that Mr. Choi is not a professional bodyguard. He graduated from Yong In University's security services department, is an 11th-degree black belt, and was an officer in the Korean Special Warfare Command for 10 years.

Mr. Choi when he was an officer of the Korean Special Warfare Command. Photo from Korea Times

During that time, he was sent to Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates as a member of the UN peacekeeping force, and was responsible for guiding and executing counter-terrorism operations, VIP protection, and other covert missions.

He assembled a 10-man bodyguard team, all trained at the Special Warfare Command, to protect Moon in February after receiving intelligence about a terrorist plot targeting the potential presidential candidate. They continued to protect the new president until handing over the task to the official security team last week.

“I volunteered to support him in pursuing his goal of ‘rebuilding the country.’ We covered all the expenses of being his bodyguards,” said Mr. Choi, adding that he had long been a supporter of Mr. Moon.

Now, the internet sensation is enjoying a rare break with his family before returning to work, but he refused to reveal what he was doing.

According to TNO