Nobody is really saying it out loud, but acting President Choi Sang-mok is proving to be, well, a good actor.

Choi assumed his role as the nation’s top leader three months ago after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had stepped up after the suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol, was himself impeached.

With the majority opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in the Assembly emboldened by its removal of several other officials for one reason or another, Choi was expected to be compliant to avoid being removed.

But he has resisted being a pushover and, at the same time, managed both the Assembly and the country surprisingly smoothly. You might say that the understudy’s understudy has performed well.

Technically speaking, Choi has four hats. He remains the minister of economy and finance, which means he is a deputy prime minister. Plus, he is acting prime minister and acting president.

The public has not paid a great deal of attention because he’s seen as a temporary stand-in. Were he an elected assemblyman before becoming minister of finance and economy, he might be seen as a rising political star. But Choi’s career has........

© The Korea Times