[Insight & Opinion] Legislation of the American-Style First Lady System

[Asia Economy] There is a strong public opinion that Kim Geon-hee’s activities should be managed officially to boost President Yoon Seok-yeol’s approval ratings. On July 8, Woo Sang-ho, the Democratic Party’s emergency committee chairman, said, "Even if it means breaking election promises, I hope you establish a second secretariat and staff it with personnel who can appropriately control the First Lady." Woo added, "I am advising this because it concerns national dignity."

President Yoon is expected to consider the opposition’s proposal and respond not by reviving the legally unsupported ‘Second Secretariat’ but by legislating an American-style First Lady system. During the election campaign, Kim pledged to "be faithful only to the role of a wife." However, now that her husband is president, it has become inevitable for her to take on a public role as the Republic of Korea’s First Lady. It is appropriate to establish a support organization with legal grounds before it is too late, ensuring that Kim’s activities are conducted transparently and responsibly.

The official White House website in the U.S. features a section introducing the wives of past presidents. The introduction of First Lady Jill Biden even includes a link to her official Twitter, allowing a clear view of her recent activities. This contrasts sharply with our presidential office website, which seems to erase the spouse’s presence altogether, not even showing a single photo. Support for the U.S. president’s wife is handled by the Chief of Staff, spokesperson, communications director, and events secretary within the ‘First Lady’s Office’ located in the East Wing of the White House. Naturally, the First Lady’s official schedule and companions are disclosed in advance. Due to this transparent procedure, events involving the First Lady are reported in real-time ‘pool reports’ to White House reporters from start to finish.

So how can the U.S. First Lady perform roles beyond spousal support, even acting as a public diplomat? At the core is the clear legal basis in the ‘U.S. federal law’ regarding the public office of the president’s family. Just as President Trump legally granted his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner official public positions as White House Advisor and Senior Advisor in 2018, U.S. federal law supports the public roles of the president’s family, which contrasts with our system.

Although the president’s wife in Korea is commonly called the First Lady, it is not an official legal position. Therefore, while she receives protocol and courtesy as the head of state’s spouse, she has no legal responsibilities or authority. The Second Secretariat, which has supported the president’s wife so far, is also based on a ‘Presidential Decree’ with weak legal grounds. According to Title 3, Section 105 of the U.S. Code (USC), "When the spouse of the president supports the president in the performance of the president’s duties and responsibilities, the support and services provided to the president are also provided to the president’s spouse. If the president has no spouse, such support and services shall be provided to a family member designated by the president."

Of course, there is a survey showing that 60% of the public believes Kim should focus on spousal support. This public opinion should not be ignored. However, when assuming a new role aligned with the American-style First Lady system, this view is somewhat outdated. As the global status of 21st-century Korea continues to rise, a new image of the First Lady representing the elevated national dignity is needed. The ruling and opposition parties should pool their wisdom for cooperative governance to create a new First Lady model and legislate the American-style First Lady system to support it.

Chae Jin-won, Professor, Kyung Hee University Institute of Public Governance

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