"The Problem of Not Ending It Coldly"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is responding to an anchor's question regarding the controversy over First Lady Kim Keon-hee's pouch during the special interview "Visiting the Presidential Office," which aired on KBS 1TV on the afternoon of the 7th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol addressed the controversy surrounding his wife Kim Keon-hee's receipt of luxury handbags on the 7th, stating, "It should be seen as a political conspiracy."
On the night of the 7th, during the KBS broadcast 'Special Interview: Visiting the Presidential Office,' President Yoon said, "The fact that this issue was brought up a year later, right before the election, should be regarded as a political conspiracy," adding, "However, what is more important than the political conspiracy is to clearly draw the line and conduct oneself properly to prevent such incidents from happening in the future."
President Yoon explained, "This happened before moving into the Yongsan residence, so it was impossible to install security scanners," and added, "My wife’s father passed away when she was in middle school, and the visitor was someone familiar with her father’s acquaintances. It is truly difficult for the president or the first lady to be harsh to someone like that."
He continued, "In my view, the problem was not being able to cut ties coldly," and said, "From my wife’s perspective, it might have been difficult to refuse due to various circumstances, but there are regrets." He further stated, "I hope the public will listen to a detailed explanation directly from me, but there are also negative situations that could arise from that," and added, "Going forward, we need to be clear to prevent misunderstandings, anxiety, or worries among the people."
Regarding the claim of a political conspiracy, President Yoon said, "They even brought a hidden camera in a watch, and the fact that this was exposed a year later right before the election should be seen as a political conspiracy," but also said, "In the future, I will be more clear and firm in drawing the line when necessary."
President Yoon also expressed that he is considering establishing a second secretariat or appointing a special inspector to prevent recurrence.
He said, "There are talks about the Office of Civil Affairs, inspectors, or a second secretariat regarding this matter, and the second secretariat is being reviewed by our secretariat," but added, "However, it seems that these measures do not help much in preventing such incidents."
President Yoon explained, "Even if there had been a second secretariat, my wife could not have turned them away, and since the person kept insisting on coming, they effectively notified and forced their way in. If you cannot firmly block that, even with a second secretariat, you would inevitably meet them," and added, "In any case, these systems, including the second secretariat, are currently under review."
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