Lee Eon-ju "'Julie'? So What"… Jung Cheong-rae "Yoon, Even Family Yuji Will Be Difficult"

Jeong Cheong-rae, Democratic Party of Korea member. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Former Future United Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Lee Eon-ju on the 12th questioned the controversy surrounding Yoon Seok-yeol's wife Kim Geon-hee, known as 'Julie,' saying, "So what if she was Julie in the past?" In response, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Cheong-rae said, "I think Yuji is more problematic."

On the same day, Jeong shared an article related to former lawmaker Lee on his Facebook and said, "For Yoon Seok-yeol, 'leaving nuclear power' is less urgent than 'leaving the family,' and Yoon's wife is more of a problem as Yuji than as Julie." He added sarcastically, "Yoon Seok-yeol might struggle not only in the presidential election but also with Family Yuji."

The 'Yuji' mentioned by lawmaker Jeong appears to refer to an academic paper authored by Kim, Yoon's wife, in 2007 for the 'Korea Design Forum,' titled 'A Study on User Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction of Online Fortune-telling Content and Member Retention and Withdrawal.' The paper caused a stir because the Korean title's phrase '회원 유지' (member retention) was translated into English as 'member Yuji.'

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (left) and former Future United Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju (right). [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, former lawmaker Lee stated on her Facebook, "If there are public issues such as illegality or abuse of power, those who aspire to be president or their spouses should be properly scrutinized," but added, "I find it hard to agree that a spouse's past private life or social status should also be subject to verification."

She continued, "South Korea is not a caste society. Even someone illiterate, without a single penny, or without a respectable job can become president or first lady if elected by the sovereign people. Isn't that the free democracy of South Korea?"

She pointed out, "Recently, scrutiny of Yoon Seok-yeol, who is leading the opposition presidential race in approval ratings, has been intense. Yet, all kinds of rumors circulate about his spouse's past private life and occupation. These are extremely personal matters," adding, "I wonder how frustrated she must have been to voluntarily give an interview. But was there a specific job qualification for the president's wife? Regardless of the truth of those rumors, the fact that such things become topics and lead to defensive interviews reflects the bittersweet reality of South Korea (funny yet sad)."

Furthermore, she posed a provocative question, "So what if she was Julie in the past? While opinions may vary, is that really a qualification for the president's family that public figures should debate openly on broadcasts? Is that truly the spirit of our constitution?"

Earlier, Kim, Yoon's wife, refuted the 'Julie' allegations amid growing controversy, stating in an interview with 'Newsbus' on the 30th of last month, "It's an outrageous story," and "Since I have never done such things, everything will be revealed over time. This is just someone writing fiction."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.