Kim Hyun-ji, Secretary to the President for General Affairs, attends the 4th Senior Secretaries and Advisors Meeting presided over by President Lee Jae-myung at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on July 17. Yonhap News.

Sudden Appointment of Head of the 1st Annex Office Amid Shadows: Suspicion Grows Rather Than Fades

Anonymous Informant Tells This Paper, "Rumors persist that the son Kim Hyun-ji gave birth to bears a striking resemblance to a prominent politician."

"People around her say it is strange that she sent her son, believed to be a 16-17-year-old high school student, to Singapore."

"Claim: When the 2008 affair rumors between Lee and Kim Hyun-ji spread, Kim suddenly married Mr. Choi to extinguish the gossip."

"I heard she closed Mr. Choi’s Seongnam office after entering the Yongsan Presidential Office in July."

"Public demand for an explanation from the Lee administration intensifies, with claims surfacing that 'she plays the role of Kim Jong-un’s concubine, Hyon Song-wol'."

Lee Jae-sun, before his death: "I know Kim Hyun-ji is 'Nirvana'... what kind of expertise led to her high-ranking position?"

On April 15, 2012, Lee wished the owner of the 'Nirvana 0415' account "Happy Birthday."

Concerns are mounting that President Lee Jae-myung’s "revolving-door" appointment of Kim Hyun-ji—a woman—to the post of Head of the 1st Presidential Annex Office, a position traditionally held by men, to defend his political interests, including Kim’s refusal to appear before the National Assembly, has only served to amplify controversy rather than dispel murky suspicions.

Amid these developments, an anonymous informant recently met with Hanmi Ilbo reporters and claimed, "I heard rumors that Kim Hyun-ji was visibly pregnant before her marriage to Mr. Choi in 2008."

The informant added, "The son Kim Hyun-ji gave birth to after her marriage bears a striking resemblance to a prominent politician, and it is puzzling why she sent her young child abroad (to Singapore). I also heard that the son studying abroad is a high schooler, around 16 or 17 years old, and that she actually has two sons."

While the credibility of these claims has yet to be verified, this newspaper has verified several instances where the informant demonstrated deep, detailed knowledge of Lee Jae-myung and his inner circle. However, regarding the claims that Kim’s child resembles a specific figure and is studying abroad, we have been unable to cross-verify the information; thus, despite the informant’s reliability in other areas, the allegations surrounding Kim Hyun-ji remain one-sided reports.

The informant further claimed, "Kim’s husband, Mr. Choi, was a tax accountant responsible for managing the finances of the 'Seongnam Citizens' Gathering.' When rumors of an affair between Kim and Lee Jae-myung surfaced in 2008, Kim suddenly married Mr. Choi just one month later, which reportedly put the rumors to rest. I also heard that after Kim entered the Yongsan Presidential Office (on July 1), she filed for the closure of her tax accounting office in Yatap-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam."

However, some circumstances in the Twitter exchanges between Lee Jae-myung and Kim Hyun-ji suggest they were in a close relationship.

Lee Jae-myung opened the "I-Sarang (Children’s Love) Playground I" (for infants under 24 months, opened August 4, 2011, 151㎡) and "I-Sarang Playground II" (for toddlers 24–60 months, opened June 12, 2012, 170㎡) on the 9th floor of Seongnam City Hall.

On June 30, 2012, at 21:56, Kim Hyun-ji tweeted: "Mr. Mayor! My child saw a man in the city hall plaza and ran toward him calling him 'uncle,' so I quickly grabbed him." Some interpret the "uncle" as Lee Jae-myung; they suggest that if Kim were merely a casual acquaintance, there would be no need to chase the child, interpreting her actions as an attempt to prevent the child from revealing their connection.

On July 24, 2012, at 23:28, Kim told Lee: "Mr. Mayor... thank you so much for the I-Sarang Playground II... but could you please look into the air conditioning? The toddlers are really..."

On April 16, 2015, at 16:03, she also tweeted: "There are child toilets in the women’s restroom at City Hall, but why aren't there any in the men's? Children who frequent City Hall have a hard time when they need to use the bathroom. Could you please install a child's toilet in the men's restroom..."

Consequently, some claim that Kim’s son was likely born in 2009 and that he attended Playground I before moving to Playground II, which was established just 10 months later.

Regarding this, some argue that the fact that Kim sent messages to a man other than her husband late at night proves a high level of intimacy between the two, and there is suspicion that Lee Jae-myung misused state funds to build two playgrounds for Kim’s son, essentially gifting them to the mother and child.

The search into Kim Hyun-ji’s identity began after Park Won-seok, a former lawmaker and former secretary-general of People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy who led the candlelight protests, remarked on CBS's Kim Hyun-jung's News Show that Kim graduated from an unnamed university in Jongno-gu. It is now widely accepted that Kim graduated from Gyeongsin High School in Buk-gu, Gwangju, is of the class of '93-'94, and graduated from the Department of Economics at Sangmyung Women's University (renamed Sangmyung University in 1996) in 1998.

Her date of birth has been identified as April 15, 1975 (age 50) through recent comments made by a lawmaker requesting her credentials. Notably, Lee Jae-myung’s late older brother, Lee Jae-sun, was reported to have asked during his lifetime, "Is 'Nirvana' Kim Hyun-ji?" and Lee Jae-myung has used this term on social media. According to Lee's X (formerly Twitter) account, on April 15, 2012, he wished the owner of an ID named ‘Nirvana 0415’ a “Happy Birthday.” The Twitter account ‘Nirvana 0415’ was also known by the alias ‘The Sister Who Chewed Gum,’ and it is widely understood that Kim Hyun-ji was the owner of the account. As a result, the public came to recognize April 15 as her birthday.

Leaving aside the bizarre reality that the birthdate of a high-ranking official involved in state affairs must be uncovered in this manner, some have noted the "coincidence" that her birthday matches that of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung. Combined with claims that "Kim Hyun-ji plays the role of Kim Jong-un’s concubine, Hyon Song-wol," this has fostered public unease regarding her ideological stance around the Chuseok holiday, leading to calls for a clear explanation from the Presidential Office. Some even go as far as calling her a "spy," though this has not been confirmed. For reference, 'Nirvana' means 'hiding' or 'cessation' in Sanskrit.

Lee Jae-myung’s late brother, Lee Jae-sun, once wrote: "I know the secretary-general of Seongnam Agenda 21 is Kim Hyun-ji, and that she is Nirvana. What expertise did she have to get such a high position in Seongnam City? What is your (Lee Jae-myung's) relationship with her? I heard that when things were tough, she brought cash and cried—is that true?" Kim Hyun-ji mentioned, "That strange person named Lee Jae-sun was found at City Hall. He was causing a scene, so the police took him away." Coincidentally, the conflict between the brothers escalated afterward, leading to mental hospital confinements and an irreversible breakdown in their relationship.

Yoo Dong-gyu has also publicly claimed that when Lee Jae-myung was a fugitive and lacked escape funds, he requested 5 million won from an acquaintance, and it was Kim Hyun-ji, not Kim Hye-kyung, who received the money while crying.

The connection between Lee Jae-myung and Kim Hyun-ji began when former lawmaker Park introduced Kim, who had been an activist in the labor movement during her college days in 1998, to Lee, who then appointed her secretary-general of the "Seongnam Citizens' Gathering" he had founded.

Later, as Mayor of Seongnam, Lee reportedly kept Kim in such close proximity that he placed the office of "Seongnam Agenda 21" (an environmental group where Kim was secretary-general) right next to the Mayor’s office. "Seongnam Agenda 21," as an environmental group, is known to have acted as a "think tank" that provided favorable environmental impact assessments for projects led by Lee, such as the Wirye Apartments, the Baekhyeon-dong retaining wall, and the Daejang-dong development, actively supporting his policy drives.

Those who believe these allegations argue that Kim’s role at the time must have been critical. On September 2, 2022, Kim Hyun-ji messaged then-DPK leader Lee Jae-myung: "An appearance request has just arrived regarding the Baekhyeon-dong false information dissemination, the Daejang-dong development false information, and the claim that you don't know Kim Moon-ki. It’s war." Some view the use of the term "war" as evidence of a symbiotic relationship.

Claims also suggest that Kim’s presence appears unexpectedly even during Lee’s fugitive days. Lee claimed that in 2004, he hid in the basement of the Seongnam Resident Church (pastor Lee Hae-hak) while on the run. Pastor Lee, the pastor of that church in Taepyeong-dong, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam, is a recognized pro-democracy activist and the father-in-law of DPK lawmaker Lee In-young.

Actress Kim Boo-seon has claimed that when she was dating Lee between 2007 and 2009, he told her, "My wife (Kim Hye-kyung) thinks I was hiding in the church basement, but in fact, I was having a fun escape at a woman’s house in her 20s."

In an interview with L'aforian, Lee Jae-myung recalled: "On March 25, 2004, after being falsely accused of 'obstruction of special official duties' for protesting at the Seongnam City Council, I hid on March 28, 2004, at 5 p.m. to avoid police. I was eating a lunch box in the church basement with senior union official Jung Hae-sun, and we both cried our eyes out." He added, "That's when I resolved to become mayor and build the Seongnam Municipal Medical Center with my own hands."

However, some suggest that he actually fled to the home of Kim Hyun-ji, who was pushing for the medical center project with him, after damaging city property in protest against the scrapping of the medical center construction ordinance. Lee had boasted to Kim Boo-seon that he had hidden at the home of a single woman in her 20s. On August 26, 2004, Lee was fined 5 million won for obstruction of official duties and property damage.

Meanwhile, the first state audit of the Lee Jae-myung administration, starting on the 13th, is expected to see intensified partisan conflict over the role of Kim Hyun-ji and issues surrounding her refusal to attend the audit.

Editorial Writer Lee Hyo-joo

※ Editorial Writer Lee Hyo-joo is a former intelligence official and currently serves as an editorial writer for this publication.

   To prevent confusion among our readers, we would like to clarify that 'Lee Hyo-joo' is a pen name.