[Seoul Economy]
Amid the detention of President Yoon Suk-yeol, attention is turning to the condition of Kim Geon-hee, who remains at the official residence in Hannam-dong. Officials who have met with Mrs. Kim expressed concern, saying, “She looked so emaciated that we were worried about her health.”
A presidential office official who saw President Yoon and Mrs. Kim together at the Hannam-dong residence just before the president’s arrest on the 15th reported, “Mrs. Kim appeared alarmingly thin, with more gray hair.” Another aide present at the residence mentioned, “Perhaps out of concern, President Yoon visited her twice before appearing at the High Public Officials Crime Investigation Agency (CIO). One visit was to check on her well-being, and the other seemed to be to say goodbye.” Regarding reports that the president said, “I should see Tory (their pet) before leaving,” a lawmaker from the People Power Party recalled, “It seemed like President Yoon only went to see his wife on both occasions. They must have felt sorry for each other.”
Furthermore, another People Power Party lawmaker mentioned, “Before President Yoon’s arrest, Mrs. Kim inquired about how to respond legally to what she considered the CIO’s illegal actions,” noting that her legal team explained the arrest process to her.
Mrs. Kim is reportedly struggling with eating properly since the state of emergency, which was declared following an incident earlier. Several ruling party figures who met her at the residence shared that “Mrs. Kim is at the point where she needs medical attention because she has not been eating well, but she is persevering with different types of medication.”
Since last year’s investigations into luxury bag suspicions and stock manipulation allegations involving Deutsch Motors, Mrs. Kim has largely remained out of the public eye. She did not accompany President Yoon on his trip to Latin America in November last year.
Meanwhile, following President Yoon’s arrest, opposition parties have intensified calls for sanctions against Mrs. Kim.
Kang Deuk-gu, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, posted on Facebook on the 15th, “President Yoon has finally been arrested.” He continued, “Now, exit bans and restrictions on financial transactions should be imposed on Mrs. Kim.” Kang also called for a swift reinvestigation into various criminal allegations involving Mrs. Kim, including the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation. He asserted, “The people know that the core of Yoon Suk-yeol’s scandal is Kim Geon-hee. Acting Minister Choi Sang-mok should impose an exit ban on Mrs. Kim and freeze her financial transactions,” urging him to “abandon the delusion of becoming a leading conservative figure. The people are aware that Acting Minister Choi’s presence poses the greatest risk in the current challenging situation in Korea.”
Members of the Revolutionary Solidarity Party gathered at a press conference in the National Assembly’s communication building, demanding a “ban on Kim Geon-hee’s departure” and stating, “Today’s arrest of the coup leader Yoon Suk-yeol is not the end. Follow-up measures must be ensured. We must bring Yoon Suk-yeol, the mastermind of sedition, and his accomplices to justice.” They emphasized, “Additionally, an investigation into Kim Geon-hee, a central figure in Yoon Suk-yeol’s national manipulation scandal, must be conducted in earnest.”