South Korean First Lady Facing Financial Allegations and Rumors About Her Marriage

“I heard that I received money from the First Lady of South Korea. The amount was said to be 5 million won (about 550,000 yen).”

This is the testimony from a person affiliated with the polling company run by the political broker at the center of the controversy, given during an investigation by the prosecutors.

On November 15, the Changwon District Court in South Korea issued an arrest warrant for Mr. M, the de facto operator of the polling company “Future Korea Research Institute,” on suspicion of violating political funding laws. Mr. M is a well-known political broker who boasted, “If I speak, the administration will end in one month.” He is said to have interfered politically when former lawmaker K of the ruling party, People Power Party, was selected as an official candidate.

 

Do it for K.

 

“In South Korea, this incident has developed into a major scandal that is shaking the administration. President Yoon Suk-yeol (63) and First Lady Kim Keon-hee (52) are suspected of being involved in the selection of K as the party’s official candidate,” said a reporter from a South Korean newspaper.

The suspicion of the president and his wife deepened on October 31. A lawmaker from the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, revealed a 17-second phone call recording in which it was alleged that President Yoon had asked Mr. M to work on behalf of K. The call was made on May 9, 2022, the day before K was selected as the official candidate.

The recording goes as follows:

President Yoon: “K has worked hard since the early days of the presidential primaries. Please make K the official candidate.”

Mr. M: “Thank you.”

The situation worsened for the presidential couple. As the investigation began, more testimonies came forward, claiming that Kim Keon-hee, once hailed as the beautiful first lady at the start of the administration, had allegedly given money to Mr. M.

 

Not accompanying her husband on his overseas trip

“Multiple individuals connected to Mr. M’s polling company provided testimonies, stating the following: ‘I heard that Mr. M received 500,000 won from Mrs. Kim. The money was said to be in an envelope from the event planning company Kobana Contents, where Mrs. Kim was the representative.’ ‘Mrs. Kim reportedly told Mr. M over the phone, expressing her joy, saying, “Ah, K is a gift from Mr. M.”‘ (Same source)

This is not the first time that Mrs. Kim has been involved in a scandal. There have been allegations of academic falsification, receiving expensive bags from acquaintances, and involvement in stock manipulation. These successive scandals have increased public dissatisfaction, leading to large-scale demonstrations calling for President Yoon’s resignation.

“As suspicions surrounding the presidential couple deepen, their approval rating has plummeted. The latest figures show it has dropped to a record low of 17% since the start of the administration. Amidst the growing troubles, there are rumors that their marriage is becoming strained. In mid-November, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in South America, Mrs. Kim, who usually accompanies the president on overseas trips, was absent. It is said that she will also refrain from domestic activities for the remainder of the year,” said a reporter from another Korean newspaper.

During a press conference on November 7, President Yoon apologized, saying, “I apologize for causing concern to the public with my and my wife’s behavior.” However, he denied the allegations, stating, “We have not done anything inappropriate.” The opposition has sharply criticized him, saying, “The day when approval ratings drop to single digits is near.” The headwinds against the administration continue to grow stronger.