"Yoon's Feelings for Kim Keon-hee Are More Than Love"
"More Than a Comrade-Like Bond, He Would Never Let Her Go"
"Anti-State Forces and Election Fraud Were Just Justifications;
His and Kim Keon-hee's Safety Was Likely the Top Priority"
Lee Dong-hoon, former editorial writer of the Chosun Ilbo and the first spokesperson for Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign during the last presidential election, introduced an anecdote that offers a glimpse into the relationship between the two, saying, "Former President Yoon Seok-yeol's feelings toward Mrs. Kim Geon-hee might be more than just love."
After completing the schedule for attending the NATO summit, President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are boarding Air Force One, their private plane, at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC, USA, on July 11 last year, after attending the 75th anniversary NATO summit. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 9th, Lee appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and stated, "I think former President Yoon Seok-yeol's feelings toward Mrs. Kim Geon-hee are more than love," adding, "He mentioned anti-state forces and election fraud as the background for declaring martial law, but I see that as just a justification. I believe his and Mrs. Kim's safety was the top priority."
He continued, "When the two got married, former President Yoon was going through a difficult period," and said, "During a very turbulent time in his life, former President Yoon depended on Mrs. Kim more than just a comrade-like bond, so he would never be able to let her go."
As Yoon Seok-yeol's 'number one spokesperson,' Lee recalled that when he first met the former president and his wife while preparing for the presidential election, he had a foreboding feeling that the 'Kim Geon-hee risk' might erupt. He opened up, saying, "When I was told to come for an interview and first went to Acrovista in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to meet former President Yoon and his wife, I was taken aback."
He recalled, "At that time, former President Yoon, who was the Prosecutor General, introduced Mrs. Kim to me, and she was very blunt and straightforward," adding, "In front of someone she was meeting for the first time, she openly scolded her husband, saying, 'Ah, this is why it won't work.'” He continued, "Former President Yoon just smiled while holding a puppy as he watched that, and I instantly thought, 'This is serious, the election might be in danger.'" Lee's account suggests that after first meeting Mrs. Kim amid the spread of the 'X-file' containing various allegations surrounding the former president and his wife as Yoon was being mentioned as a presidential candidate, he had a foreboding feeling.
Lee also said, "(Former President Yoon) liked YouTube," and added, "When I was at the Chosun Ilbo, I did YouTube as well, and former President Yoon said, 'I watched your YouTube and that's how I interviewed you.'" When asked by the host if Mrs. Kim also watched YouTube with him, he replied, "They said they watched it together when choosing me," and added, "I understand that former President Yoon and Mrs. Kim often watched YouTube together at night even during the candidate period." He also said that during their first meeting, former President Yoon told him, "You know, I often watched you on YouTube, so your face isn't unfamiliar to me."
Regarding rumors about former President Yoon founding a new party or Mrs. Kim running in the general election, Lee said, "I think former President Yoon himself would want to do that, and there would be extreme forces around him trying to use that," but added, "Former President Yoon lacks the qualifications as a politician and has no symbolic assets within the conservative camp." He emphasized, "He might want to found a party and intervene in the presidential election, but he shouldn't do it," and concluded, "Basically, he won't be able to do it. It won't happen. That's my opinion."
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