[Summary] Controversy Over 'Julie Mural' in the Heart of Jongno... Opposition Criticizes as "Fake Progressive Level," "Criminal Act" Floods of Criticism

'Julie's Men'... Anti-Kim Geonhee Mural of Yoon's Wife Appears

A mural defaming Kim Keon-hee, the wife of presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, painted on the exterior wall of a bookstore in Jongno-gu, Seoul, has sparked controversy. On the morning of the 29th, members of conservative groups and YouTubers are protesting in front of the mural.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 29th, criticism poured out from opposition parties over a mural painted on the wall of a building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, defaming Kim Geon-hee, the wife of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. The opposition parties labeled the so-called 'Julie mural' as a criminal act and pointed out that it is an "act that undermines the values of democracy."

Choi Jae-hyung, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party and former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection, said on his Facebook on the same day, "We must not tolerate acts that regress democracy under the name of freedom of expression."

He raised his voice, saying, "I heard the news that a mural defaming Yoon candidate's family was put up. I cannot help but feel anger. This is low-quality defamation, political violence, and character assassination under the guise of freedom of expression."

He added, "Engaging in such personal attacks under the pretext of freedom of expression damages the values of democracy and lowers the political dignity of our country."

A mural painted on an alley in Jongno, Seoul on the 29th, aimed at criticizing former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Yoon Seul-gi, intern reporter seul97@asiae.co.kr

Another People Power Party presidential candidate, Representative Ha Tae-kyung, also wrote on Facebook, "An incident so shameful that it is hard to even mention. No matter how ruthless politics is, this is unacceptable," and harshly criticized, "If you want to raise issues about the 'First Lady's qualifications,' please clearly define the problem and do so officially."

He continued, "Stop this disgraceful act of dragging democracy, which should be in the public square, into the back alleys where people snicker. I urge the president to put a stop to the reckless character assassination carried out by so-called 'pro-Moon' supporters."

Kim Mi-ae, a People Power Party lawmaker, also pointed out that the 'Julie mural' is a "criminal act that cannot be protected by freedom of expression" and "serious defamation."

She said on Facebook, "Is it acceptable to defame with false information just because she is the spouse of a leading presidential candidate? All politicians, regardless of party, must take strong action against such low-quality illegal acts."

Kim Geun-sik, professor at Gyeongnam National University and chairman of the Songpa-byeong district of the People Power Party, also condemned, saying, "The Julie mural is political brutality disguised as personal freedom, infringing on another individual's human rights and annihilating a woman's character. It is nothing but dirty and disgusting political excrement."

He sarcastically addressed conservative YouTubers and supporters of former Prosecutor General Yoon, saying, "Do not cover up the Julie mural. Just leave it so that everyone can see it," and added, "It is an excellent piece of evidence that blatantly shows the level of fake progressives opposing former Prosecutor General Yoon."

Recently, a mural defaming Kim, the wife of former Prosecutor General Yoon, appeared on the outer wall of a secondhand bookstore in Jongno-gu, Seoul, sparking controversy. There are six murals in total on the outer wall. One mural includes the phrase "Julie's Men" along with "2000 Dr. A, 2005 Chairman Jo, 2006 Prosecutor P, 2006 Prosecutor Yang, 2007 BM CEO, 2008 Announcer Kim, 2009 Prosecutor Yoon's husband." Another mural features a woman's face with the phrase "Julie's Dream! The First Lady's Dream!"

'Julie' is the alias mentioned for Kim in the so-called 'Yoon Seok-yeol X-file.' The 'X-file' contains allegations that Kim used the alias 'Julie' while working as a hostess at entertainment establishments in the past. Kim refuted this on the 30th of last month in an interview with the online media 'Newsbus,' saying, "Someone just wrote a novel."