South Korea’s opposition-led National Assembly has voted down a bill proposing a special investigation into First Lady Kim Keon-hee, reports Reuters. The bill had sought to appoint a special prosecutor to probe allegations involving stock price manipulation and election poll tampering, which have been linked to Kim through a power broker. According to Bloomberg, 102 out of 300 lawmakers voted against the bill.
Kim Keon-hee, who had been publicly indicted over several controversies in the past, was earlier acquitted of charges of stock manipulation linked to Deutsche Motors. A court ruling said she did not know her account was being managed by an external manager, according to Hankyoreh, the Korean daily.
Her association with Myung Tae-Kyun, who calls himself a political consultant, is also being questioned by the investigation for supposed influence over government appointments. According to The Korea Times, Kim’s connections are receiving more scrutiny. Calls for an investigation into her art exhibition company, Covana Contents, have also surfaced.
Scandal and Public Protest
Kim had been at the center of a series of scandals. Most recently, she was featured in a video where she was seen accepting a luxury Dior handbag worth $2,200 from a pastor. This violated South Korean laws prohibiting public officials from accepting gifts valued over $750. Public outcry grew, leading to increased protests against Kim and the ruling government.
Political Chaos and Vote on President Yoon’s Impeachment
Even though the motion for a special probe into Kim did not pass, President Yoon Suk Yeol still faces significant political challenges. An impending impeachment vote in the National Assembly could determine the fate of his presidency. Members of the ruling party recently walked out of the session, denying the quorum necessary for the measure to pass. Despite this, the Speaker emphasized that it was crucial to hold the vote to uphold democracy.
Political instability arose after Yoon’s controversial declaration of “emergency martial law,” which the parliament unanimously reversed just two hours later. This decision triggered massive public protests, with demonstrators calling for Yoon’s impeachment outside the assembly.
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