SEOUL: President Yoon Suk Yeol has signaled his willingness to consider a reshuffle within his administration if any aides are found to have improperly leveraged their connections to the first lady, Kim Keon-hee, to influence state matters, as reported by his office. This statement was made following a meeting with the leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), Han Dong-hoon, who expressed concerns over the first lady’s public activities and recommended a personnel shake-up to mitigate the controversies surrounding her.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during the meeting, which also included the presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk, Han advocated for the appointment of a special inspector to investigate allegations involving the first lady. President Yoon responded by stating that if specific information about problematic individuals and their actions is provided, he would review the details and decide on the necessary course of action.
Yoon also addressed the call for the first lady to limit her
public activities by noting that Kim is already reducing her engagements due to exhaustion and stress. He emphasized that she would only participate in essential external activities.
On the subject of cooperating with investigations, Yoon suggested that conclusions should await the ongoing prosecution inquiry, as per a senior official. Concerning the absence of a special inspector, Yoon indicated that such an appointment should result from consensus between the ruling and opposition parties.
Under current law, the National Assembly must recommend three candidates for special inspector, from which the president selects one. This appointment is viewed as a means to alleviate public concerns surrounding the first lady, especially since the Democratic Party (DP) has reintroduced a bill advocating for a special counsel investigation into the allegations against Kim.
The first lady faces accusations of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, receiving an illegal luxury gift, and interfering in the PPP’s can
didate nominations for the upcoming general elections. Recently, the DP passed a special counsel probe bill to contest the prosecution’s decision not to indict Kim over her alleged role in the Deutsch Motors Inc. stock manipulation incident from 2009 to 2012.
The newly proposed bill broadens the investigation’s scope to cover recent allegations that Kim sought assistance from Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed political broker, to conduct opinion polls favorable to her husband before the 2022 presidential election.
During the discussions, Yoon expressed appreciation to PPP lawmakers for opposing the DP-led special counsel probe bill, which had been reintroduced after he vetoed it twice. He clarified that Myung had offered advice during the PPP’s 2022 primary but that their association ended partway through the process. However, he acknowledged that his wife might have maintained contact with Myung.
This meeting occurs amid escalating tensions within the ruling party, as the DP intensifies its political chal
lenges against Yoon. With his single five-year term reaching its midpoint, some DP legislators have even contemplated impeaching Yoon over the allegations involving the first lady.