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Kim Geon-hee, CEO of Kobana Co., Ltd. (Photo by the People Power Party Election Headquarters)

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The People Power Party is preparing for the official appearance of Kim Gun-hee, the spouse of presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, ahead of the official campaign period next month. As the 'support competition' among spouses of other candidates intensifies, there is speculation that Kim's official activities may begin earlier than expected.

According to our investigation on the 29th, the People Power Party's campaign headquarters is reviewing Kim's official activities. However, it is reported that they are still deliberating on the timing and method of her appearance. Kim is known to be communicating with campaign headquarters chief Kwon Young-se and considering various approaches.

Within the campaign headquarters, opinions are divided on whether Kim should begin her activities before the official campaign starts on the 15th of next month. One campaign official stated, "There is talk that she might start campaigning with candidate Yoon as early as the Lunar New Year holiday." Another official said, "We need to carefully consider whether official activities amid lingering negative public opinion related to Kim would be beneficial to candidate Yoon."

Nonetheless, the consensus is that official activities are likely to begin after the 15th. A campaign official said, "Typically, during the official presidential campaign period, the candidate's spouse assists with campaign activities," adding, "The atmosphere is that Kim will appear during the official campaign period."

Meanwhile, on the 26th, the campaign headquarters released Kim's profile photo. Until now, the campaign headquarters had only issued statements and responses to negative controversies related to Kim, making this the first time her photo was officially published. The day before, Kim herself registered her profile on a portal site, introducing herself as the "CEO of Kobana Co., Ltd." On the 27th, she also added four educational qualifications and three awards to the profile.

Typically, spouses of presidential candidates have supported campaign activities from as early as one month to as long as six months before the election. They use social media or visit local communities to provide support. During the 2017 presidential election, Kim Jung-sook, spouse of then Democratic Party candidate Moon Jae-in, was called the "Honam Special Envoy" as she toured the Honam region eight months before the election. Kim Mi-kyung, spouse of then People's Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, attended marathon events, and Lee Seung-bae, spouse of then Justice Party candidate Sim Sang-jung, continued official activities through media interviews.

In this election as well, spouses such as Kim Hye-kyung of Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, Kim Mi-kyung, Lee Seung-bae, and Jung Woo-young, spouse of New Wave candidate Kim Dong-yeon, have already begun campaign competition through interviews and regional activities.