Suspicious Involvement of First Lady Kim Geon-hee in Presidential Office Personnel Matters

A businessman, Mr. Seo, who presented an expensive luxury watch to First Lady Kim Geon-hee, has made a shocking claim that he was offered a position at the Presidential Office by her.

According to a report by MBN on the 12th, Mr. Seo stated, "I was asked by the First Lady to take on a role in the Presidential Office's public relations duties." This implies that the spouse of the President, who has no authority over appointments, may have interfered in personnel matters at the Presidential Office.

According to Mr. Seo's claims, he was asked to assist with the "doorstepping" question-and-answer sessions that started shortly after former President Yoon Suk-yeol took office.

Mr. Seo told MBN reporters, "(The First Lady) asked if I could help with public relations because there weren’t enough people," and added, "I declined because I wasn't interested." This can be interpreted as him being offered a position within the public relations office of the Presidential Office.

Mr. Seo explained that he handed over the watch to the First Lady in September 2022, and that he received the personnel proposal after that.

At that time, the doorstepping Q&A sessions were in a period of discontinuation and resumption amid ongoing controversies surrounding remarks made by former President Yoon.

In November 2022, then-President Yoon Suk-yeol commented on the suspension of the doorstepping, stating, "It was an unavoidable measure as a responsibility to uphold the Constitution due to the malicious behavior of trying to sow discord through fake news."

Expansion of Allegations Regarding the First Lady's Involvement in Personnel Matters

If Mr. Seo's claims are true, it raises the possibility that the spouse of the President, who is not a public official, has inappropriately interfered in personnel matters at the Presidential Office.

Currently, the First Lady is suspected of having intervened in the Presidential Office's appointments while in a private citizen capacity, including the appointment of a staff member from Kobana Contents to the administrative officer position. Mr. Seo's claims lend further weight to these suspicions.

When asked for a response regarding the allegations related to Mr. Seo's watch purchase and the personnel proposal, the First Lady's side stated, "We cannot confirm anything as the detention examination is ongoing," thereby avoiding a specific answer.

YouTube 'MBN News'

Image Source: On the 12th, First Lady Kim Geon-hee is attending a pre-arrest examination at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, related to allegations of violations of the Capital Market Act and the Political Fund Act. / News1, Mr. Seo / YouTube 'MBN News'