The first lady of the Republic of Korea, “wearing a military uniform to encourage troops and arm-in-arm with Biden,” was heavily criticized for her “close proximity to the chest and unfaithful impression.

The first lady wore a military uniform to encourage the soldiers,” said President Yun. I am sure she will be criticized for ‘acting like a president. She should know her role.

Park Ji-won, a member of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPJ), made the criticism in an appearance on a KBC news program on January 16. The criticism was directed at Kim Keon-hee, 50, the wife of President Yun Seong-yeol.

Kim and Yun visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to encourage the South Korean troops stationed there. The couple met with the generals in the unit’s mess hall, and they thanked them for their hard work in their overseas activities. Opposition lawmakers took issue with Mrs. Kim’s attire at the time. Mrs. Kim wore the same military uniform as President Yun. The opposition party is claiming that she is more conspicuous than the president and that this could damage the image of South Korea as a country that advocates peace in the Middle East.

A Bold Act for a Top U.S. Official

Mrs. Kim’s behavior that has drawn criticism is not limited to consoling people in military uniform. Her “boldness” during a visit to Southeast Asia last November has also been controversial.

President and Mrs. Yun attended a dinner hosted by Cambodia, the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) chair country. President Yun, dressed in his ethnic costume, and his wife chatted with U.S. President Biden, who showed up late to the event. It was a commemorative photo. …… Kim and Biden linked arms, and Kim even made a gesture as if she was moving her chest closer to Biden’s.” (The same source)

The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) also took issue with Mrs. Kim’s behavior. A member of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) criticized Kim’s behavior as follows.

If she was aware of her status as a public figure, she would not have acted in such a manner. If she were aware of her status as a public figure, she would not have behaved in such a manner. I don’t feel good about what I am seeing.

The ruling party vehemently refuted these accusations.

They claim that there have been cases in the past where the first lady has worn military uniforms to offer encouragement. In fact, when Kim Jong Suk, wife of former President Moon Jae-in, visited troops stationed in the UAE, she also wore a military uniform. She said that it would be normal to wear military uniforms inside the military. Mrs. Kim Jong Suk would sometimes lock arms with foreign heads of state.

Mrs. Kim Keon-hee is immensely popular; her fan site “Keon-Sarang (I love you, Keon-hee),” launched in December 2009, initially had about 30,000 members, but since Yun assumed the presidency, the number has grown to nearly 100,000. He’s a brilliant man and attracts a lot of attention, for better or worse. It is said that Mrs. Kim’s words and deeds influence President Yun’s approval rating.

In South Korea, Mrs. Kim is said to attract more attention from the public than the president. No matter what she does, she continues to be the subject of controversy.