[Insight & Opinion] Situation Models Surrounding Kim Hyunji

Growing Public Doubts Amid Defensive Silence
Delayed Explanation Only Increases Political Losses

The 'Kim Hyunji' issue is a central pillar of the so-called 'Cho-Kim-Cam-Bu' (Cho Heedae, Kim Hyunji, Cambodia, Real Estate), which threatens the president's approval rating. In the early days of the Lee Myungbak administration, the phrase 'Mansahyungtong' (meaning 'everything is decided by the president's elder brother'), satirizing the influence of lawmaker Lee Sangdeuk, became popular. This metaphor has made a comeback after 18 years as 'Mansahyeontong,' now referring to President Lee Jaemyung's Chief Secretary for the First Lady, Kim Hyunji. Some media outlets and YouTube channels have described her as the "hidden power" (SBS), the "shadow power" (Daejeon Ilbo), and having "influence equivalent to the First Lady" (Jin Joongkwon).

Attacks on Kim Hyunji are affecting the president, making this a crisis for him. Scholars categorize presidential crises by duration and intensity into immediate, gradual, explosive, and chronic crises. President Lee and Chief Secretary Kim's camp seem to view the current situation as a gradual and chronic crisis. In such cases, the typical response is to 'ignore' the issue. Chief Secretary Kim has made no public statements and has not appeared at the National Assembly.

The strategy of ignoring the issue can be somewhat effective in defending the president. When only a minority attacks the president, the administration can remain silent to prevent the issue from spreading to more media outlets. However, once the issue becomes widely shared, the damage caused by not responding can become unbearable for the president. According to this defensive theory, President Lee Jaemyung's political losses appear to be mounting due to the silence over the Kim Hyunji issue. The controversy was triggered by a media report claiming that President Lee, during his time as a lawyer, transferred his right to a success fee to Chief Secretary Kim. Like a small hole in a levee growing larger, numerous media outlets and social media platforms are now producing various narratives about Kim Hyunji.

According to SomeTrend, from September 26 to October 25, 78% of the 22,594 news articles and blog posts related to Kim Hyunji contained negative language. Keywords associated with Kim Hyunji included "closest aide," "Mansahyeontong," "Korea Forest Service Chief," "Gyeonggi Eastern Alliance," and "National Assembly testimony," all of which are sources of suspicion and controversy. Ahead of the National Assembly audit, Chief Secretary Kim was transferred from the position of Secretary for General Affairs, which customarily requires attendance at the National Assembly, to Chief Secretary for the First Lady.

This personnel move has raised questions such as, "Isn't it a public official's duty to appear before the representative body and answer questions?" and "How close must they be for this level of protection?" There have also been ongoing reports about text message verdicts, success fee controversies, social media posts from the Seongnam days, the Gyeonggi Eastern Alliance controversy, Daejang-dong-related reports, and personnel issues.

When there is no clear explanation, the public judges major incidents using situation models. First, they identify the facts reported in the news. They consider the power structure and tendencies within the ruling party. They compare the opposing perspectives of the ruling and opposition parties. Then, they recall collective memories of how previous inner-circle power holders behaved. Based on these facts, political circumstances, diverse viewpoints, and the unique historical context of Korea, the public can construct a rich situation model surrounding Kim Hyunji.

Situation models are formed on their own, without waiting for explanations. For example, regarding First Lady Kim Keonhee's luxury bag controversy, President Yoon Sukyeol and Kim Keonhee offered only vague explanations and apologies after a long silence. By then, the public had already formed their own situation model about Kim Keonhee and held President Yoon accountable. It is better for those in power to explain themselves openly rather than relying on numerical superiority as a shield. Even progressive media outlets are now calling for Kim Hyunji to appear before the National Assembly. In a public opinion poll conducted by JoWon C&I and Straight News from October 19 to 21, 61.4% of respondents said her attendance was necessary. Prolonged silence may mean that the golden time to escape the crisis is slipping away.

Heo Manseop, Professor at Gangneung-Wonju National University