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Who can believe Kim Keon Hee’s claim of being a 'nobody'?

Published: 07 Aug. 2025, 00:00

Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, appears as a suspect at the office of special prosecutor Min Joong‑ki in the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Aug. 6. It is the first time in Korea’s constitutional history that a current or former first lady has publicly appeared as a suspect before investigators. [YONHAP]

On Aug. 6, Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, appeared publicly before special prosecutor Min Joong‑ki’s team and was questioned until late in the evening. She faces 16 allegations, including involvement in the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case, meddling in opinion polls and nominations with Myung Tae‑kyun, and ties to a shaman figure known as Geonjin Beopsa.

While some former first ladies have been questioned privately, Kim is the first to stand before the press as a suspect. With Yoon already in detention, the sight of a former first lady drawing scrutiny is both dismal and embarrassing for the nation.

Arriving at the special prosecutor’s office in central Seoul, Kim said, “I am truly sorry for causing concern as someone like me, a nobody,” before entering for questioning. The remark might have been a polite form of humility, but it also implied she was not a power broker at the heart of the scandals. Yet during the Yoon administration, was she really a “nobody”?

The seven‑hour audio recordings released before the 2022 presidential election told a different story. They included comments such as “If I take power, they will not be safe,” and revealed her deep involvement in Yoon’s campaign. When allegations about her falsified resume and potential role in the Deutsch Motors scheme surfaced, Kim held a press conference in December 2021. She apologized for past mistakes, promised to “be careful to meet the public’s expectations,” and vowed to focus solely on the role of a presidential spouse.

Despite that pledge, Kim quickly became the center of controversy. In September 2022, a hidden camera video showed her accepting a Dior mini bag from Korean American pastor Choi Jae‑young. Although the sting was questionable, it exposed the limits of her sense of public duty. Early in Yoon’s term, evidence emerged that the Unification Church sought to deliver expensive gifts to her through Jeon Sung‑bae, otherwise known as Geonjin Beopsa.

Her promise to live up to public expectations proved hollow. In July 2024, prosecutors questioned her about the Deutsch Motors case not in the main prosecutors’ office but in a security facility used by the Presidential Security Service, reporting to the prosecutor general only 10 hours later. She was cleared of charges, a decision that further eroded public trust in the prosecution.

Reporters wait outside the KT Gwanghwamun Building West in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Aug. 6, as Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is scheduled to appear before independent counsel Min Joong-ki’s team for questioning as a suspect. [YONHAP]

Kim has also faced suspicion over efforts to reroute the Yangpyeong Expressway toward family‑owned land and alleged links to the Sambu Construction stock case. Some claims may be exaggerated, but no modern first lady has been mired in so many scandals.

The special counsel must thoroughly investigate and hold her accountable for any unlawful conduct.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.