South Korean First Lady’s Fortune Teller Allegedly Influenced Marriage and Martial Law Declaration

“The president can’t stand up to his wife. It can be said that, in effect, it was the First Lady who had him declare martial law,” says Shin In-cheol, the editor of Korea Report, who is well-versed in South Korean affairs.

Since President Yoon Suk-yeol (64) declared martial law (special martial law) in December last year, South Korea has become increasingly chaotic. President Yoon referred to those opposing him as anti-national forces and attempted to eliminate them with martial law. Meanwhile, opposition parties have issued arrest warrants for President Yoon and have begun impeachment proceedings.

The reason President Yoon resorted to such an extreme measure as declaring martial law is not just to purge the anti-national forces. According to Shin, the influence of President Yoon’s deeply cherished wife, Kim Keon-hee (52), is also a major factor in this decision.

“They have a unique relationship.”

 “Mrs. Kim has been involved in numerous scandals, including allegations of stock manipulation with an automobile company and accepting a luxury handbag from a pastor involved in North-South unification activities. Since the beginning of the Yoon administration, the opposition has relentlessly pursued investigations into her allegations. For President Yoon, it may feel like a witch hunt. He might have thought to use martial law to retaliate against the opposition that he believes is attacking his beloved wife.”

Even if they have a close relationship, one must question the decision of a president to use public measures to protect his spouse. The background, according to Shin, is a unique relationship between President Yoon and Mrs. Kim.

“When they married in March 2012, President Yoon was just a prosecutor with about 2 million yen in savings. On the other hand, Mrs. Kim owned an event planning company and had assets of around 700 million yen. President Yoon, who received much support from Mrs. Kim, is unable to stand up to her.

Mrs. Kim has several fortune-tellers whom she admires. One of them even became an advisor to the event company she ran. It is said that their decision to marry, despite the age gap of over a decade, was influenced by advice from one of these fortune-tellers.”