Photo from President’s Official Website

​A Presidential Crisis Deepens: Allegations, Backlashes, and Challenges in Yoon Suk-yeol's South Korea

BK Park

NJT Senior Writer 

Seoul, Korea — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is increasingly finding himself in a crisis. Initially, President Yoon faced a surprising defeat in the Gangseo District mayoral by-election, which he had expected to win easily. This led to intensified criticism from conservative media, traditionally supporters of Yoon. Following the election, these media outlets began to criticize the president openly.

President Yoon also faced backlash from Busan residents and conservative media after confidently predicting the successful bid for the Busan Expo 2030, only to be defeated by Saudi Arabia. Recently, criticism of President Yoon has intensified. Leading conservative newspapers, Chosun Ilbo and Dong-a Ilbo, have harshly criticized President Yoon's wife, Kim Gun-hee, over allegations of accepting bribes.

Dong-a Ilbo's senior journalist, Lee Ki-hong, commented, "Four and a half months before the presidential election, Mrs. Kim tearfully promised to remain 'just a wife.' However, her actions seen in a recent video seem to contradict this promise." The video released by Seoul's Voice on November 27 shows Kim receiving a luxury 'Dior' handbag worth 3 million won from Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young. The footage captures the entire process, from the pastor purchasing the handbag to delivering it to Mrs. Kim. 

This situation could potentially violate the Kim Young-ran Act, a law that criminalizes public officials who receive gifts exceeding 1 million won, regardless of the nature of the favor or job relevance, enacted on September 28, 2016. The President's office has remained silent on this matter.

Dong-a Ilbo’s senior journalist further stated, "If this issue is brushed aside, how can we demand adherence to the Kim Young-ran Act from public officials nationwide? The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission must urgently investigate and determine the legal violations of both the giver and Mrs. Kim. This controversy has betrayed the citizens who desired a regime change."

Yang Sang-hoon, the chief commentator of Chosun Ilbo, highlighted the scrutiny and responsibility that come with the role of 'the First Lady' in his column. He pointed out that the current situation reflects freedom without responsibility, causing widespread concern.

The titles of the two articles were 'Conservative Koreans Can No Longer Bear the Kim Gun-hee Risk' and 'Kim Gun-hee Should Apologize and Leave the Official Residence.'

Mrs. Kim, who had previously been embroiled in controversies regarding thesis plagiarism, stock manipulation, and false career claims, publicly apologized on December 26, 2021. She had promised to be 'just a wife' if her husband became president.

Contrary to her promise, Mrs. Kim has acted as if she were the president herself, which is evident from the numerous photos of her activities on the official website of the presidential office. The extent of the First Lady's activities displayed on the website is unprecedented.
 

The controversy deepens with revelations from Pastor Choi Jae-young. Appearing on Kim Yong-min TV's 'Kairos,' he stated, "The issue is not about Mrs. Kim receiving luxury handbags, but her involvement in state affairs, specifically in appointment lobbying, which I witnessed. This could lead to a serious situation for the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The acceptance of luxury items is a secondary issue."

In addition, the potential involvement of President Yoon in the tablet PC manipulation case, which was a pivotal factor in the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, has also been brought to light. Media Watch CEO Byun Hee-jae has claimed that President Yoon and Minister Han Dong-hoon's special investigation team manipulated evidence in the tablet PC case. He alleges that Jang Si-ho, a niece of Choi Soon-sil, was involved in this manipulation at the behest of the special investigation team.

The situation worsened when Choi Soon-sil's daughter, Chung Yoo-ra, revealed a recording implicating Jang Si-ho in the conspiracy, claiming, "The tablet PC was fabricated." Jang Si-ho said, "Han Dong-hoon ordered me to manipulate the tablet, and now I'm the only one suffering. It's unfair." This statement was confirmed by Chung Yoo-ra, who revealed that she possesses the recording. President Yoon Suk Yeol is in a deepening crisis, facing a situation seemingly without an exit strategy.

Amid these numerous controversies, questions arise about President Yoon's ability to complete his term. Adding to the president's woes, his efforts to win the Busan Expo bid, involving leaders of global conglomerates like Samsung and LG, ended in failure. This debacle, including a staged photo-op of these business leaders eating tteokbokki at Busan's Ggangtong Market, has drawn public ire.

In an editorial titled 'Minimizing the Mobilization of Global Conglomerate Leaders,' Chosun Ilbo critiqued the situation by writing, "The photograph of the President and conglomerate leaders eating tteokbokki has become a topic of discussion, but paradoxically, it seems to illustrate how challenging it is to conduct business in South Korea. The total sales of the groups led by the eight businessmen who attended the event amount to 1,000 trillion won, exceeding 1.5 times the national budget for this year. Businesses must fiercely compete in the global market, where even a momentary lapse can lead to being outpaced. However, regardless of their global standing, when the President calls, these corporate leaders are expected to set aside all else and attend, reflecting the reality in South Korea." This statement was made in a plea to minimize the mobilization of conglomerate heads.

As President Yoon navigates these multifaceted crises, the question of whether he can fulfill his presidential term remains.