Yoon Seok-yeol's Camp Calls 'Kim Geon-hee Entertainment Bar Allegations' Report Fake News, Vows Strong Legal Action

Choo Mi-ae: "Not Julie but Jewelry? Witnesses from the Time Appear Even if Hiding Behind Curtains"
Yoon Seok-yeol's Side: "Kim Gun-hee Has Never Worked at a Nightclub...Baseless Personal Attacks"

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate (left), and his wife Kim Geon-hee.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] On the 8th, the campaign team of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, stated regarding allegations that Yoon's wife, Kim Gun-hee, CEO of Kobana Contents, used the stage name 'Julie' in the past and frequented entertainment establishments, "Kim Gun-hee has absolutely never worked at a nightlife venue."

Choi Jihyun, senior deputy spokesperson of the People Power Party's Central Election Committee, said in a statement titled "Notice" on the same day, "The Open Sympathy TV broadcast is fake news," and added, "We will take strong legal action against the reporters who covered this fake news and former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party, who publicly posted about it."

YouTube channel 'Open Sympathy TV' and OhmyNews reported on the 6th that former president of the Korea Elementary School Taekwondo Association, Ahn Hae-uk, testified that "In May 1997, I visited the Ramada Renaissance Hotel nightclub and was entertained in the 6th-floor banquet hall at the invitation of Cho Nam-wook, then chairman of Sambu Construction, where I met CEO Kim Gun-hee, who was using the stage name 'Julie' at the time."

A post shared by former Minister Chu on his Facebook.
Photo by former Minister Chu

In response, former Minister Choo shared these reports from Open Sympathy TV on her Facebook repeatedly, writing, "The reason why 'Julie' was not acceptable has come out. Was it because it sounded like 'jewelry'?" and "Even hiding behind the curtain, a witness from the jewelry days has appeared."

Choi, the deputy spokesperson, criticized, "This is not true and the broadcast itself makes no sense," adding, "They aired low-level, unspeakable content about Kim Gun-hee based on a single informant, and in the latter part, the same informant praised candidate Lee Jae-myung's childhood. Aren't those who broadcast or mention such things ashamed?"

He continued, "The broadcast introduced her as a 'part-time lecturer at ○○ University,' but in 1997, Kim Gun-hee was attending the Graduate School of Education at Sookmyung Women's University," and "The first time she knew the Ramada Renaissance chairman was much later, so around 1997 they did not even know each other."

Choi stated, "This is the true face of the Democratic Party in how they treat people," and "Even former Minister Choo Mi-ae, who was a presidential candidate, cruelly spreads baseless personal attacks."

He added, "There is one more reason why regime change is necessary," and "We will strongly respond to such horrific character assassination and dissemination of false information."

Meanwhile, political commentator Yoo Chang-sun lamented regarding former Minister Choo's public statement on the Julie allegations, saying, "How did it come to this?" and "Still, she was once a minister of a country."