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South Korea’s first lady Kim Keon Hee has not been seen in public since last year – and the country’s political experts think they know the reason why.
Kim was last spotted when she and President Yoon Suk Yeol returned from the Netherlands on December 15.
The 51-year-old is seen as a rather awkward character in South Korean politics, troubling her husband’s personal image with a series of blunders.
His People Power Party (PPP) is going to take on a high-stakes parliamentary election later this week, with all 300 of the National Assembly’s seats up for grabs.
Some think Kim’s absence was a decision made by the PPP to keep her name out of the headlines as the party struggles to maintain control.
Shin Yul, a political science professor in South Korea’s capital of Seoul, said: ‘Since the first lady is not portraying positive images to the public, for her to remain quiet during this time might actually help the election (for Yoon’s party).
‘If she reemerges, it could be problematic, not just because of the scandals themselves, but due to her unfavourable image with the public.’
The couple visited the UK in November (Picture: Getty/AFP)
The first lady had been struck with a wave of controversies before her husband’s time as president.
In 2021, she admitted to making up parts of her CV when applying for jobs at universities in 2007 and 2013.
Kim was also investigated in December 2023 by the opposition Democratic Party, after allegations that she was involved in stock price manipulation before Yoon took office in 2022.
However, the investigation was vetoed by her husband on January 5 this year.
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She was also further accused of controversy in January, when hidden camera footage seemed to show her accepting a luxury Dior bag as a gift, which threatened to sow division and disarray between Yoon and his PPP.
Seoul resident Kang Hyun-sook, 65, said: ‘After one issue ended, another arose. It was a pattern for her. Then for the last four months, it has been quiet as she had disappeared from the public.’
Yoon saw his popularity dip from a recent high of 41.9% to 36.3% in a opinion survey of 2,509 people published on Monday (April 1) by the pollster Realmeter.
Another Seoul local, 20-year-old Park Chae-woon, was shocked at the first lady’s absence, saying ‘This has gone too far’.
Yoon’s support base during his presidential campaign was heavily dominated by young men(Picture: AP)
Mr Yoon’s presidential win in 2022 was one of the closest in history, with less than 1% separating the final count.
The conservative politician called his win at the time a ‘victory of the great South Korean people’.
The central pillar of his campaign was abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which provided family and social welfare and the promoted equality for women.
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