Kim Jungsook Responds to Questions About Conservative Groups and YouTubers' Protests at Yangsan Residence

Former President Moon and His Wife Attend Seoul International Book Fair
Kim Jungsook Comments on "Yangsan Protests"

Kim Jungsook, the wife of former President Moon Jaein, commented on the protests by conservative YouTubers and others taking place near their private residence in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.

Former President Moon Jaein and his wife Kim Jungsook visited the Seoul International Book Fair held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 18th. Pyeongsan Bookstore Instagram

The former presidential couple visited the Seoul International Book Fair held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 18th, as Pyeongsan Bookstore had set up a booth at the event. Since his retirement, former President Moon has been working as a "bookstore keeper" at Pyeongsan Bookstore in Habuk-myeon, Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.

When former President Moon appeared at the event, a crowd of visitors quickly gathered. Among them, one attendee brought up the protests at the Yangsan residence, a moment captured in an MBC News video on the 19th.

One visitor said, "Thank you for enduring despite all the noise. When I went down to Pyeongsan, it was so loud that honestly..." In response, Kim Jungsook smiled, clenched her fists with both hands, and replied, "It's still like that now." The woman then sighed and said, "Is it still going on? It was like that last year too."

When the woman asked, "Why on earth are those people doing that?" Kim Jungsook answered, "I don't know. I just want to shout."

Since his retirement, former President Moon has suffered from ongoing protests by conservative groups and YouTubers at his private residence in Pyeongsan Village, Yangsan. These groups have staged protests day and night using loudspeakers and amplifiers to criticize the former president, which at one point led to a flood of complaints from nearby residents. It has also been reported that dangerous items such as replica guns and box cutters were found at some of the protests.

Former President Moon has personally expressed his discomfort regarding the protests. In May 2022, he wrote on his Facebook page, "The anti-intellectualism, accompanied by loudspeaker noise and abusive language, is shattering the peace and freedom of a quiet rural village on a Sunday," and added, "To the residents of Pyeongsan Village, I am sorry."

Amid these circumstances, in August 2022, the Presidential Security Service expanded and redesignated the security zone around former President Moon's private residence. Previously, the security area extended only to the residence's fence, but it was expanded to cover a 300-meter radius from the fence. After this change, the protests gradually decreased. However, in September last year, a man in his twenties was arrested after indiscriminately assaulting a female employee at Pyeongsan Bookstore, continuing a series of incidents and accidents.