Kim Keon-hee Faces Backlash for Sitting on the Royal Throne at Geunjeongjeon Hall
Geunjeongjeon Hall Is a National Treasure, Only Viewable from Outside
Park Ji-won: "She Seemed to Dream of Becoming a King and Ruling Permanently"
Controversy has arisen after it was revealed that Kim Keon-hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, once sat on the Yong-sang throne (the royal seat where kings sat) at Geunjeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace. Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized her, stating, "It was due to her delusion of wanting to become the next monarch." In an interview on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" on the 23rd, Park said, "It seems she was thinking about becoming a king and ruling permanently."
Yang Moon-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is questioning Jeong Yong-seok, president of the National Museum Culture Foundation, about suspicions regarding First Lady Kim Keon-hee's seating on the dragon throne in Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace during the National Assembly's inspection of the National Museum and National Library held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 22nd. Photo by Yonhap News
Park added, "Former President Yoon trusted the words of a fortune-teller and even wrote the Chinese character for 'king' (王) on his palm. I think Kim Keon-hee did such things because she wanted to become president next and ascend to the throne," and continued, "She already acted like a monarch because she considered herself one. Who could dare challenge the absolute sovereign?"
Previously, on the 20th, the YouTube channel "Joo Reporter Live" released a photo of Kim Keon-hee and former National Education Commission Chairperson Lee Bae-yong wearing slippers inside a building at Gyeongbokgung Palace. Geunjeongjeon Hall, a symbolic space of the Joseon Dynasty, is designated as a national treasure and is currently only accessible for viewing from the outside.
During the National Assembly inspection by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee on the 22nd, Yang Moon-seok, a Democratic Party lawmaker, pointed out that Kim Keon-hee, along with Lee Bae-yong and others, privately visited Gyeongbokgung Palace on a day it was closed to the public in 2023 and sat on the throne at Geunjeongjeon Hall. On the same day, the Cultural Heritage Administration also confirmed in materials submitted to Democratic Party lawmaker Lim Oh-kyung's office that "when Kim Keon-hee visited Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace on September 12, 2023, it was confirmed that she sat on the Yong-sang throne."
At the time, Kim Keon-hee visited the palace to inspect the restoration of the Gwanghwamun Woldae and preparations for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) state visit. However, it was reported that she was accompanied by officials from the Cultural Heritage Administration for an unscheduled tour of the interiors of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and Geunjeongjeon Hall.
Yang Moon-seok, a Democratic Party lawmaker, questioned Jeong Yong-seok, president of the National Museum Culture Foundation, who had accompanied Kim Keon-hee as a senior secretary in the Presidential Office at the time, asking, "Why did Kim Keon-hee go to Gyeonghoeru Pavilion? Why did a private citizen sit on the Yong-sang throne at Geunjeongjeon Hall?" He continued, "Who told her to sit there? Did former Cultural Heritage Administration head Choi Eung-cheon suggest it, or did she sit there on her own? What was discussed while she was seated?"
Initially, Jeong replied, "I do not remember clearly," but after repeated questions from ruling party lawmakers, he said, "I believe she sat there herself. Since we were constantly moving, even if she did sit, it would have been for only one or two minutes."
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