'117 Days of Low Profile' First Lady Kim Geon-hee Casts Early Vote in Yongsan on the 5th (Private)

Public Appearances Halted Since December Visit to the Netherlands
President Yoon Completes Early Voting in Busan on the 5th

First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, was reported to have cast her early vote for the 22nd National Assembly election on the 5th in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu.

According to the presidential office on the 10th, Mrs. Kim visited the Itaewon 1-dong early voting station set up at the Yongsan District Council around lunchtime on the first day of early voting for this general election, the 5th.

President Yoon voted separately on the same day at the early voting station established at the Myeongji 1-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Gangseo-gu, Busan, and then attended the opening ceremony of Busan New Port Pier 7 and the 79th Arbor Day commemorative event.

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and his wife Kim Geon-hee are voting at an early voting station set up at the Seocho 1-dong Community Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

This is the second time since President Yoon declared his political participation in June 2021 that he and Mrs. Kim have voted separately. During the last presidential election when Yoon was the People Power Party’s presidential candidate, he voted in Busan, while Mrs. Kim participated in early voting in Seocho-dong.

However, considering that previous presidential couples have typically visited polling stations together during major elections, Mrs. Kim’s private early voting this time appears to be a move anticipating intensified opposition attacks during the main election day.

Mrs. Kim did not engage in any public activities for 117 days after accompanying President Yoon on his trip to the Netherlands on December 15 last year until this day.