First Lady Kim Keon-hee arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, in August last year to undergo a suspect interrogation (warrant examination) before her arrest. [Yonhap News]

On January 28, the so-called 'Min Jung-ki Special Prosecutor's investigation, launched under the Lee Jae-myung administration, reinvestigated a series of allegations that had plagued First Lady Kim Keon-hee for the past five years, and in reality, for nearly 15 years, at a significant cost to the public treasury. However, the results were overwhelmingly acquittals. The court largely did not find guilt in the core issues: 1) allegations of stock price manipulation by Deutsch Motors, 2) allegations of involvement in the Myeongtae Gyun public opinion poll, and 3) allegations of soliciting favors related to Geunjinbeopsa and the Unification Church.

What became clear in this process is that these investigations were politically motivated and selective, rather than aimed at upholding the rule of law. Politicians and forces—including Lee Jae-myung, Lee Jun-seok, Han Dong-hoon, some prosecutors, and extremist fan groups—who led the attacks against First Lady Kim Keon-hee and former President Yoon Suk-yeol and participated in their impeachment, all politicized the investigations in a manner far removed from legal fairness. Consequently, it is difficult to escape the suspicion that these actions served as a defensive measure to conceal their own political and moral responsibilities.

The Deutsch Motors stock price manipulation case was already concluded with a not-guilty verdict during the Moon Jae-in administration. Nevertheless, the Democratic Party repeatedly brought it up during election periods, using it for public manipulation. The fact that it was reignited just before the 12.3 martial law in December 2024, with Han Dong-hoon, then leader of the ruling party, agreeing to a special prosecutor for Kim Keon-hee, raises doubts about political intentions. It is difficult to avoid criticism that they attempted to divert public attention by using Mrs. Kim as a symbolic scapegoat in a situation where they were facing personal crises within their party and party affairs.

On the other hand, no proper accountability has been established for more significant issues such as the stock price manipulation related to solar power investigated by the Min Jung-ki Special Prosecutor, the structural intervention by the Lee Jae-myung administration utilizing state power, and the controversies surrounding pensions and indices. Minor suspicions were exaggerated, while major suspicions were covered up, a typical characteristic of political investigations.

The Myeongtae Gyun public opinion poll allegations are similar. There is strong circumstantial evidence that some politicians, such as Lee Jun-seok, targeted First Lady Kim Keon-hee with public opinion to escape their personal crises, including evidence tampering related to sexual bribery. Although Myeongtae Gyun conveyed the public opinion poll results to various individuals, President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife were merely a few among many who received reports. Nonetheless, concentrating all responsibility on a specific individual is far from fair. It is also necessary to objectively consider that structural manipulation issues surrounding elections, statistics, and public opinion have repeatedly been raised under the Democratic Party administration.

The allegations related to the Unification Church are also similar. Although the alleged gifts received by First Lady Kim Keon-hee have not been proven to have been given in exchange for favors, severe penalties were discussed, and a public trial took place. Conversely, if the numerous Democratic Party officials who have been accused of receiving money and valuables from the Unification Church are not properly investigated, this would be a clear case of targeted investigation and selective justice. If a genuine special prosecutor is needed, all involved parties must be investigated by the same standards, regardless of political advantage.

It is undeniable that the extreme fan politics of so-called "Gae-ttal" and "Han-ttal" played a significant supporting role in the process of demonizing and witch-hunting First Lady Kim Keon-hee in a manner reminiscent of Marie Antoinette. The collective madness of idolizing certain politicians and morally annihilating opponents has severely undermined the health of Korean politics. This is also a phenomenon where the existential emptiness of individual lives, the identity crisis of middle-aged women, and social dissatisfaction have transformed into political hatred. Politics should be a system for establishing community order, not a vent for emotions.

A society where a presidential spouse's professional career, academic achievements, and personal personality are consumed as evidence of crime simply because of their status is by no means a normal rule-of-law state. The media, judiciary, and politics have combined to confine the presidential couple and persistently attack their character, and this is being openly carried out in 21st-century South Korea. This pattern, repeated since the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, reveals the true face of politics that uses law and conscience as tools to seize power. History repeats itself. Those who boast of gaining power through impeachment and political investigations, and the supporting actors and main players who colluded in the process, will all inevitably face accountability someday. International attention and investigative cooperation are already focusing on this issue.

This is a message advocating for the fair application of the law to Mrs. Kim Jung-sook, Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung, and Mrs. Kim Kyung—who are involved in more serious allegations than Mrs. Kim Keon-hee—rather than defending Mrs. Kim Keon-hee. It is time for Korean society, especially female voters, to look beyond blind fandom and examine issues based on universal principles of the rule of law, fairness, and conscience. The river of history may meander, but it ultimately flows toward justice and truth. Polluted politics and falsehoods may gain temporary momentum, but they will eventually disappear in the tide of history.

Shin Sook-hee in Sydney, Australia

( PhD in TESOL & Mental Health Professional )

※ This article has been approved by the 'International Freedom and Sovereignty Alliance Women's Council'.

◆ Representative Shin Sook-hee

Co-Representative, International Freedom and Sovereignty Alliance

Overseas Korean Representative, Australia

Ph.D. in TESOL, University of Sydney