"Appointed 'Lady Macbeth' Due to Martial Law"
"Granting Husband Necessary Glamour"
"Drifting Away from Public Sentiment Amid Various Controversies"
As the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol has passed the National Assembly, a British media outlet highlighted the controversy surrounding President Yoon's declaration of martial law and First Lady Kim Geon-hee.
On the 16th (local time), the British daily The Times published an article titled "South Koreans point to the president's 'Lady Macbeth' as the reason for martial law," interpreting public sentiment. Lady Macbeth is the wife of Macbeth, the protagonist of Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth," one of his four great tragedies. She is a character with strong ambition for power who elevates her husband to the throne but ultimately falls with him.
The outlet described Kim's political involvement style as Machiavellian, full of cunning and manipulation, explaining, "She has been called South Korea's Lady Macbeth." It also introduced the Korean public's view that President Yoon's emergency martial law declared on the 3rd is not unrelated to Kim. The Times reported, "Although the motive is not clearly evident, many South Koreans suspect that (President Yoon) used this martial law to protect his wife from potential investigation and prosecution."
Additionally, the article separately addressed the controversies surrounding Kim that have surfaced since President Yoon entered politics. It stated, "The solemn and modest former prosecutor husband entered politics five years ago, and since then, Kim has provided the flamboyance he needed," but also criticized, "From the beginning, she was a controversial figure who tarnished her husband's conservative political agenda with ambition, conspicuous tastes, and strong opinions." The article mentioned allegations during the presidential election such as academic fraud, suspicions of receiving luxury handbags, and stock manipulation cases, adding, "She endangered herself in ways that inevitably distanced her from the Korean public's sentiment."
Meanwhile, on the 14th, all 300 members of the National Assembly voted on the second impeachment motion against President Yoon. Unlike the first vote, where the majority abstained, the People Power Party agreed to "participate but vote against," and all members attended the plenary session. The vote resulted in 204 in favor, 85 against, 3 abstentions, and 8 invalid votes, passing the impeachment motion. President Yoon is currently suspended from his duties. The Constitutional Court is scheduled to hold the first preparatory hearing for this case on the 27th.
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