South Korea’s controversy prone first lady Kim Keon-hee keeps a low profile ahead of parliamentary polls

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife, who has been embroiled in a number of controversies, has not been seen in public since December 15
Kim Keon-hee’s unprecedented absence from public view is seen by analysts as a political decision to shield Yoon’s party from negative comments

South Korea

Reuters

Published: 12:32pm, 2 Apr 2024

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Beset by controversies about share-price manipulation and a costly gifted handbag, South Korea’s first lady has not been seen in public since December 15, but few in Seoul were surprised as a high-stakes parliamentary election approaches this month.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is not running in the April 10 election in which his People Power Party faces an uphill battle to win back control of parliament, and is also barred from campaigning, as he already holds public office.

Still, the unprecedented absence from public view of his wife, Kim Keon-hee, after the couple returned from a visit to the Netherlands on December 15, is seen by analysts as a political decision to shield the party from any negative comment.

Yoon and first lady Kim pose with puppies at a guide dog school in December 2022. Kim has been an advocate for animal rights. Photo: South Korean Presidential Office / Handout via AFP

“Since the first lady is not portraying positive images to the public, for her to remain quiet during this time might actually help [Yoon’s party in] the election,” said Shin Yul, a political-science professor at Myongji University in Seoul.

“If she re-emerges, it could be problematic, not just because of the scandals themselves, but her unfavourable image before the public.”

The president’s office did not comment.

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Before Yoon’s election in 2022, the accusations of Kim’s involvement in stock-price manipulation had prompted parliament, controlled by the Democratic Party, to pass a bill for an investigation by a special prosecutor. But Yoon vetoed it.

His wife again became embroiled in controversy in January, when images recorded by a hidden camera showed her accepting a Dior bag as a gift, an action that threatened to sow disarray in Yoon’s PPP.

“After one issue ended, another arose,” said Kang Hyun-sook, a 65-year-old resident of the capital. “It was a pattern for her. Then for the last four months, it has been quiet as she disappeared from the public eye.”

Kim, who has been an advocate for animal rights, had raised her profile with work to stop the consumption of dog meat and helped a push to ban the practice in South Korea.

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Still, Kim has been a drag on Yoon’s popularity, which dipped to 36.3 per cent in a survey of 2,509 people published on Monday by pollster Realmeter, from a recent high of 41.9 per cent.

The PPP was trailing the Democratic Party, at 35.4 per cent to 43.1 per cent.

“This has gone too far,” said another Seoul resident, Park Chae-woon, 20, referring to the controversy around Kim.

“I believe she should not hide, but confront the issues, either by making an apology or taking responsibility on the matters.”

A woman watches a news segment about the latest North Korean missile launch at a railway station in Seoul on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Meanwhile, North Korea on Tuesday fired at least one suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile in a show of force days ahead of South Korea’s elections.

North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile from Pyongyang at 6:53am on Tuesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message sent to reporters. The missile landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Japan’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

South Korea’s military said the missile flew a distance of about 600km (375 miles) and Japan’s military said it reached an altitude of about 100 km. It said the launch appeared to be related to a new engine for a hypersonic missile North Korea tested earlier this year.

These weapons are designed to deploy a reentry vehicle for carrying a nuclear warhead that can change its flight path at high speeds, making them hard for interceptors to shoot them down. Experts had said North Korea’s engine test was likely aimed at checking its reliability and extended burn time, which would allow a longer flight range.

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This was the third test of ballistic missiles from Kim Jong-un’s regime this year. His official media often comments on tests a day after the event. North Korea last tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile in January.

A missile of this sort is built to fly far enough to hit all of Japan, where the US has positioned tens of thousands of troops, as well as US military facilities in Guam, where the Pentagon says it keeps one of America’s largest munitions depots in the world.

North Korea has bristled at the conservative government of South Korea’s President Yoon, who has taken a hard line on Pyongyang, and the latest launch serves as a reminder of the North’s threats to security.

“The North Korean regime is trying to shake our society ahead of general elections through continued military provocations including missile launches,” Yoon said after the launch.

North Korea could be looking to stir up tensions to build support for Yoon’s rivals in the Democratic Party, a progressive group that favours rapprochement with Pyongyang.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg