Seoul: The conservative People Power Party (PPP) apologized Wednesday for the past actions of former first lady Kim Keon Hee, saying it will become more transparent about the personal affairs of a president's wife. Rep. Kim Yong-tae, the PPP's interim leader, made the apology in a press conference at the National Assembly as the next presidential election is less than two weeks away on June 3.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Rep. Kim Yong-tae stated, "The People Power Party respectfully apologizes to the people for having failed to fathom the people's concerns about first lady Kim Keon Hee's past actions." He emphasized the party's commitment to reflecting deeply and implementing fundamental changes.
The party leader outlined three key promises to the public, starting with a "transparent vetting" process for the first lady to satisfy the public's right to know. He acknowledged that while the first lady may have past mistakes, they will not be concealed under the guise of being private matters.
Furthermore, the PPP intends to assign a public role and responsibility to the first lady, ensuring transparency in the execution of her official budget. The party also pledged to hold her legally accountable should she abuse her official authority or commit any illegal acts.
Additionally, systemic changes are planned to ensure that the president's family, relatives, and close acquaintances undergo transparent inspection and surveillance processes.
Kim, the wife of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, faced continuous public scrutiny during her husband's tenure. Allegations against her included illegally accepting a luxury bag, interfering in candidate nominations for elections, and other irregularities.
Legal sources revealed on Wednesday that the Seoul High Prosecutors Office recently seized Kim's cellphone as part of a reinvestigation into her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme. This investigation was reignited last month after the Supreme Court confirmed the convictions of nine individuals implicated in manipulating stock prices of Deutsch Motors, a BMW dealer in South Korea, from 2009 to 2012. Prosecutors had initially decided last October not to indict Kim in the case.