<figure id="attachment_400385" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 4065px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-400385"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fffc5ad6"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/11/dfe1a5e00e73bbdc9f134f683e445de3.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-400385" class="wp-caption-text">South Korean president and wife in hot water for meddling in selection of official candidate</figcaption></figure>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I heard that he received money from the wife of the South Korean president. The amount was 5 million won (about 550,000 yen).</span></p>
<p>In response to a public prosecutor&#8217;s inquiry, a person involved with an opinion polling firm run by a political broker in the middle of the scandal stated, &#8220;I heard that he received money from the wife of the South Korean president.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p>On November 15, the Changwon District Court in South Korea issued a restraining order against Mr. M., the actual operator of the Mirae Korea Institute, a public opinion polling firm, on suspicion of violating laws related to political funds. Mr. M is a well-known political broker, who is said to have interfered in the political affairs of a former member of the ruling party, &#8220;People&#8217;s Power,&#8221; when he was selected as a candidate for the party&#8217;s official recognition.</p>
<h2>Let it be K!</h2>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In South Korea, the case has developed into a major uproar that has rocked the administration. The reason is that President Yun Suk-yeol (63) and his wife Kim Keon-hee (52) were allegedly involved in making K an official candidate,&#8221; said a Korean newspaper reporter.</span></p>
<p>Suspicions of the president and his wife&#8217;s involvement deepened on October 31. On October 31, a member of the opposition Co-operative Democratic Party disclosed a 17-second recording of a phone call in which President Yun is said to have asked Mr. M to manipulate K. The recording was made by a member of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPJ). The recording was made on May 9, &#8217;22, the day before K became an official candidate.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p>The recording is as follows</p>
<p>President Yun <span class="strongInContent">: &#8220;K has worked very hard since the preliminary election. （Please give him the official recognition.)</span></p>
<p>Mr. M. <span class="strongInContent">[Thank you very much.</span></p>
<p>Things got worse for the president and his wife. As prosecutors began their investigation, they uncovered a series of statements by Kim, who had been hailed as the &#8220;beautiful first lady&#8221; at the beginning of the administration, that she had given money to Mr. M.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="In an envelope from Kim's company: ......"></div>
<h2>She did not accompany her husband on his outings</h2>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Several people, including a person from Mr. M&#8217;s polling company, gave the following testimony: &#8220;I heard that [Mr. M] received 5 million won from Mr. Kim. I heard that [Mr. M] received 5 million won from Mr. Kim. I heard that Mr. Kim was happy to talk to Mr. M on the phone and said, &#8216;Oh, Mr. K is Mr. M&#8217;s friend. Mr. Kim told Mr. M on the phone that he was happy and said, &#8220;Oh, K is a gift from Mr. M!</span></p>
<p>This is not the first time that Kim&#8217;s scandal has surfaced. He has been accused of academic fraud, receiving luxury bags from acquaintances, and involvement in stock price manipulation. &#8230;&#8230; The public&#8217;s growing dissatisfaction with the string of allegations has even led to large-scale demonstrations demanding President Yun&#8217;s resignation.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> As the allegations against the president and his wife intensify, their approval ratings plummet. According to the latest figures, it has fallen to 17%, the lowest level since the inauguration of the administration. There are rumors that the couple&#8217;s relationship is strained due to a string of troubles: Kim, who often accompanies President Yun, was not present at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Peru and other South American countries in mid-November. Mrs. Kim is also said to be refraining from domestic activities for the rest of the year.&#8221; (Another Korean newspaper reporter)</span></p>
<p>At a press conference on November 7, President Yun apologized, saying, &#8220;I apologize for the concern I have caused the nation by my and my wife&#8217;s behavior. On the other hand, he denied the allegations, saying, &#8220;I have never done anything inappropriate. The opposition parties are furiously criticizing him, saying, &#8220;The day is near when his approval rating will drop to single digits. The headwinds against the administration are only getting stronger.</p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>


 Reuters/Afro

 Kim Keon-hee, South Korea's "beautiful first lady," is facing new allegations. She is alleged to have given money to a political broker and intervened in the selection of a candidate for the ruling party's official nomination. This is a major situation that could shake the administration. There are rumors of a rift between the president and his wife.

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

Access Ranking