South Korea's first lady, Kim Keon Hee, has not been seen in public since December last year following a series of controversies, but many are not surprised by her long absence ahead of the country's parliamentary elections taking place on April 10. .
President Yoon Suk Yeol is not running, as parliamentary and presidential elections are held separately in South Korea. But as an office holder, he is also not legally allowed to campaign for his People Power Party (PPP). , which is facing an uphill battle to regain control of parliament.
Still, Kim's unprecedented absence since she and Yoon returned from a visit to the Netherlands on December 15 was considered a political decision to protect the PPP from any negative factors.
“Since the first lady is not portraying positive images to the public, the fact that she remains quiet during this time may actually help the election (for Yoon's party),” said Shin Yul, a professor of political science at the University from Myongji in Seoul.
“If she resurfaces, it could be problematic, not just because of the scandals themselves, but because of her unfavorable image with the public.”
In 2021, Kim admitted to falsifying parts of her resume when applying for university jobs in 2007 and 2013.
Last December, the parliament controlled by the opposition Democratic Party approved a bill for a special prosecutor to investigate allegations that Kim was involved in stock price manipulation before Yoon takes office in 2022.
Yoon vetoed the motion on January 5, 2024.
That month, Kim was involved in another controversy. Hidden camera footage reportedly revealed that she accepted a Dior bag as a gift, which threatened to sow division and disorder between Yoon and her PPP.
“After one issue ended, another arose. It was a pattern for her. So over the past four months, it has been quiet as she has disappeared from the public eye,” said Kang Hyun-sook, 65, when asked about Kim's absence from public view.
Kim has been a drag on Yoon's popularity, which continued to fall from a recent high of 41.9% to 36.3% in an opinion poll of 2,509 people published on Monday by pollster Realmeter. .
The PPP was trailing the opposition Democratic Party, 35.4% to 43.1%. Kim's name often appears in a negative light among those responding to opinion polls.
“This has gone too far,” said 20-year-old Park Chae-Woon, referring to the controversies surrounding the first lady.
“I believe she should not hide but confront the issues by making an apology or taking responsibility for the issues.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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