[Audit Hot Figure] Moon Jungbok Exposes Kim Keonhee's Intervention in Education Affairs

Kim Keonhee's 8-Minute, 49-Second Call with Education Vice Minister Confirmed
Discussion Covered Seoi Elementary Incident, 'Killer Questions,' and Other Issues
Democratic Party Points Out: "Clear Evidence of Intervention in State Affairs"

On October 30, during the National Assembly's Education Committee audit, the issue of First Lady Kim Keonhee's involvement in state affairs during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration resurfaced. This renewed attention was due to the 'unintentional' revelation that Mrs. Kim had called the Vice Minister of Education and intervened in educational matters.

Moon Jungbok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, questioned Jang Sangyun, the former Vice Minister of Education who appeared as a witness at the comprehensive audit that day, asking, "Do you remember having an 8-minute and 49-second phone call with Mrs. Kim on July 20, 2023?" Jang replied, "I do remember." When Assemblywoman Moon pressed further, asking if the call was related to the cover-up of a school violence case involving the child of Kim Seunghee, the former Presidential Protocol Secretary known to be close to Mrs. Kim, Jang responded, "There was no mention of school violence at all."

Moon Jung-bok, Democratic Party of Korea. Yonhap News.

As questioning about the call continued, Jang explained, "At the time, there were many educational issues that were the subject of public controversy," and added, "She expressed concerns about those issues." During further questioning, Jang stated that the conversation covered the Ministry of Education's response following the death of a Seoi Elementary School teacher, the presence of so-called 'killer questions' on the College Scholastic Ability Test, and the restructuring of university administrative offices. Assemblywoman Moon's question about whether the call involved the school violence case ultimately revealed an aspect of Mrs. Kim's intervention in state affairs.

Regarding this, Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Minjung stated, "By testifying that Mrs. Kim spoke about educational issues completely unrelated to the school violence case involving the former secretary, former Vice Minister Jang has clearly confirmed Mrs. Kim's intervention in state affairs."

Kim Youngho, Chairman of the National Assembly's Education Committee (Democratic Party), commented, "Everyone would agree that it is inappropriate even for a lawmaker's spouse to call an aide and give instructions, so it is certainly not proper for the President's wife to call a vice minister."