Yoon's Close Associate: "Kim Keonhee Has Sharper Political Acumen Than Yoon"

"Advising on What Her Husband Could Not See...
Involvement Is Not a Bad Thing"

Seo Jungwook, an attorney known to be close to former President Yoon Sukyeol and his wife, commented that "First Lady Kim Keonhee has a more acute political sense than former President Yoon."

Former President Yoon Sukyeol and First Lady Kim Keonhee are talking inside a car as they leave the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on April 11. Photo by Yoon Dongju

On September 2, during an appearance on the Korea Ilbo current affairs YouTube channel "Issue Jeonpasa," Seo stated, "When former President Yoon leaned to the right, First Lady Kim insisted, 'We must go to the center. We must not go to the right,'" adding, "Her sense of reality and political acumen are truly exceptional."

He continued, "The role of a politician's spouse is significant. They help raise support funds and manage organizations," and added, "There are also things the husband cannot see, and giving advice in such areas is not a bad thing. Even if First Lady Kim was involved, it is not a bad thing."

Regarding the reason behind former President Yoon's declaration of the December 3 Martial Law, Seo said, "From what I have broadly heard, the biggest factor was the presidential office budget cut." He explained, "The Democratic Party of Korea reduced the presidential office budget to zero. Isn't that essentially saying, 'Don't be president' or 'Step down as president'?" He further emphasized, "Without money, you cannot work. The point that most upset former President Yoon was the budget."

Seo also criticized the ruling party for viewing and releasing the CCTV footage recorded at Seoul Detention Center during the execution of the arrest warrant for former President Yoon, saying, "Unless there is a special circumstance, you should not play the CCTV footage, but they did, and they made its contents public. Even if national dignity collapses, can it collapse this much? A massive backlash will follow," he warned.

Seo additionally revealed that First Lady Kim had sent 500,000 won in prison funds to former President Yoon. As of August 29, a total of 310.29 million won had reportedly been deposited into former President Yoon's prison account. Seo also mentioned that Jung Kyungshim, the wife of Cho Kuk, head of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party's Innovation Policy Research Institute and former Dongyang University professor, received about 200 million won in prison funds during her incarceration, saying, "This should be seen as a sign of support."