Kim Yongtae Apologizes for Kim Keonhee Controversy... Calls for Stronger Public Accountability for the First Lady

Institutionalizing First Lady Verification and Oversight of Relatives
Urging: "Present an Alternative for Verifying Kim Hye-kyung"

On May 21, Kim Yongtae, the interim leader of the People Power Party, apologized for the controversy surrounding First Lady Kim Keonhee and pledged to institutionalize measures to prevent similar issues in the future. He explained that the party would establish a verification process for the First Lady and strengthen her public accountability.

During a press conference at the National Assembly that day, Kim stated, "I sincerely apologize for not fully understanding the public's concerns regarding Kim Keonhee's past actions," and added, "We will reflect deeply on this issue and pursue fundamental change."

Yonhap News

Specifically, Kim promised three key changes. First, he proposed to establish a verification process for the First Lady. Kim declared, "We will not conceal the President's spouse's past wrongdoings by labeling them as private matters," and pledged, "We will ensure a transparent process to disclose such matters for the public's right to know."

In addition, Kim stated that the First Lady would be held responsible for her public role. He promised to make the budgeting and execution process for the President's spouse's official activities more transparent, and emphasized that if the spouse abuses public authority and commits illegal acts, she would be held legally accountable in the same manner as other public officials.

Furthermore, Kim pledged to improve the system to ensure continuous oversight of the spouse's family, relatives, and other close associates. He stressed, "With a commitment to resolve the issue at its root, we will put solutions for the First Lady controversy into practice."

However, Kim noted that the First Lady issue is not unique to a particular administration, and reiterated the need to scrutinize Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of Lee Jaemyung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. He stated, "We will not limit ourselves to the TV debate format previously proposed," and urged the Democratic Party to suggest a method for verifying the First Lady.

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