Kim Hye-kyung's Close Engagement, When Will Kim Gun-hee Follow? ... Growing Attention on Candidates' Spouses

Kim Hye-kyung Accompanies Lee's Campaign Schedule Daily, Showing Affection
Democratic Party Campaign Committee's 'Spouse Chief' Role Also Draws Attention
'When Will Kim Geon-hee Appear?'... Speculation of Imminence
"Both Candidate and Spouse Surrounded by Various Allegations... Recognition of Need for Verification"

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and his wife Kim Hye-kyung were whispering to each other while watching the 4th game of the Korean Series professional baseball at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 18th. / Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] With the presidential election scheduled for March next year, interest in the spouses of the ruling and opposition presidential candidates is heating up. Recently, Kim Hye-kyung, the spouse of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, has been actively accompanying him on campaign schedules, drawing attention to the timing of the appearance of Kim Geon-hee, the spouse of Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party presidential candidate. It seems that the 'First Lady qualification verification' is emerging as an important issue in this election, almost as much as the candidates themselves.

According to internet search statistics services Naver Data Lab and Google Trends, the search volumes for Kim Hye-kyung and Kim Geon-hee have surged sharply since early November. The search volume for Kim Hye-kyung spiked following a fall accident on the 9th. At that time, various speculations and rumors such as 'marital quarrel theory' and 'domestic violence theory' spread online.

Seemingly to dispel these rumors, Kim Hye-kyung reappeared in public on the 18th, nine days after the fall accident. On that day, she watched the 4th game of the Korean Series professional baseball at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul with candidate Lee, showing affection by linking arms and whispering to him throughout the game.

Kim Hye-kyung also accompanied candidate Lee on his schedule in the Chungcheong region last weekend. At a market in Cheongju, candidate Lee actively introduced Kim Hye-kyung to citizens, shouting, "Not the 'son-in-law of Chungbuk,' but the 'daughter of Chungbuk' has come." He put his spouse at the forefront of the campaign as much as himself.

The Democratic Party's special attention to the candidate's spouse from a strategic election perspective is also evident in the composition of the election campaign committee. The Democratic Party established an official position called 'Spouse Chief' within the campaign committee to exclusively manage Kim Hye-kyung's election-related activities. Lee Hae-sik, a member of the National Assembly who served three terms as mayor of Gangdong District, was appointed to this position.

Although there have been dedicated aides for presidential candidates' spouses in the past, it is considered unusual to create a separate department and appoint a current lawmaker rather than an external figure.

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate (right), and his wife Kim Geon-hee. / Photo by Yonhap News

Consequently, public interest in the timing of the appearance of Yoon candidate's spouse Kim Geon-hee is also increasing day by day. Kim Geon-hee has not been exposed to the media except for accompanying Yoon at the Blue House during his appointment ceremony as Prosecutor General in July 2017. Currently, various allegations such as involvement in stock manipulation of Doich Motors, plagiarism of theses, and false credentials are believed to be reasons why Kim Geon-hee has not started public activities.

There are also speculations that Kim Geon-hee's public appearance is imminent. The People Power Party is reportedly planning to launch a 'People Power Party Spouse Forum' (tentative name) at the end of this month, involving spouses of both internal and external party district heads. The Spouse Forum was planned to support party promotional activities and strengthen the capabilities of female party members in line with next year's presidential election, and some expect Kim Geon-hee to begin public activities through this forum.

Above all, since the ruling party has recently publicly criticized Kim Geon-hee's absence from public exposure, continuing to avoid public activities could have a negative effect by further fueling the current allegations. On the 17th, Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party, criticized at a campaign committee meeting, "Kim Geon-hee is currently not appearing at all in official public settings. This is highly inappropriate for the spouse of a presidential candidate and disrespectful to the public."

Experts analyze that as various allegations surrounding the candidates and their spouses become hot topics, there is a growing tendency to thoroughly verify the qualifications of the president and the First Lady compared to past presidential elections.

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "Both candidates Lee Jae-myung and Yoon Seok-youl are embroiled in various issues, big and small. Some cases are currently under investigation, and rumors or unverified information related to the candidates' spouses have also spread. As these allegations become issues, attention is focused not only on the candidates but also on their spouses." He added, "Regarding these issues, both parties seem to recognize the risks and are trying to respond actively. This shows how important the candidate's spouse is in the election."

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