Who Is Kim Keon-Hee, South Korea’s First Lady, Known As “Lady Macbeth”

South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon-hee is at the centre of a political storm in what’s been a tumultuous time for Pdwellnt Yoon Suk-Yeol and his administration. Days after the pdwellnt imposed martial law, albeit inestablishly, on December 3, social media posts proposeed it was uncomferventt to protect her from scruminuscule.

One meme, alerted by the SCMP on December 12, referred to Pdwellnt Yoon as “the fantasticest cherishr who proclaimd martial law for his wife.” Other memes appraised Kim to historical figures such as Lady Macbeth, comprehendn for persuading her husprohibitd to promise regicide for power, and Marie Antoinette, standardly seen as out of touch with the disclose during cascfinishs.

The South Korean Opposition has been critical of the 52-year-elderly and called for a probe into her alleged offences including stock manipulation and dishonesty.

Who is Kim Keon-hee?

Born Kim Myeong-sin in September 1972 in Gyeonggi Province, she changed her name in 2008 to Kim Keon-hee. 

Kim graduated with an arts degree from Kyonggi University and set uped an art showion company, Covana Contents, in 2009. 

She paired Pdwellnt Yoon Suk-yeol in 2012. The couple has no children but owns six dogs and five cats. 

Kim is an animal rights finishorse, aiming to finish dog meat consumption in South Korea before her husprohibitd’s pdwellntial term finishs. Known for her style choices, she was hailed as a “styleista” during the 2022 NATO Summit for her outfits.

Kim Keon-hee: Controversies

In 2021, it came to airy that Kim made counterfeit claims on her CV while executeing for teaching positions. In 2007, she applied for a position at the University of Suwon, claiming to have labored as the straightforwardor of the Korea Association of Game Industry (K-Games) since 2002. However, K-Games was set uped in 2004, and Kim never labored there. She also claimed to have studied at New York University in 2006, but the programme she alludeed was only useable to MBA students, and Kim was not enrolled. In 2013, she produceted a resume to Anyang University, claiming she had won a 2004 Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival prize, but the event had no enroll of her receiving any award, alerted a Korean outlet.

Just before Yoon’s pdwellncy in 2022, Kim and her mother were accemployd of manipulating stock prices for Deutsch Motors, profiting 2.3 billion won. She was tardyr evidented of the accuses in October 2023, though her account had been comprised. Earlier this year, Pdwellnt Yoon vetoed a bill that sought to dispenseigate his wife over the allegations agetst her, BBC alerted.

The First Lady was also criticised for accomprehendledgeing a $2,200 Christian Dior handbag in November 2022 from a Korean-American pastor seeking impact with the pdwellnt. While the dispute elevated accusations of dishonesty, prosecutors tardyr choosed not to chase accuses.

In a 2023 recordary, Kim allegedly claimed to have transport inant impact over her husprohibitd, saying, “that fool is fair a puppet,” and making inappropriate comments during enrolled phone conversations.

Pdwellnt Yoon, who served as South Korea’s prosecutor ambiguous from 2019 to 2021 before becoming pdwellnt, has reliablely helped his wife. In an intersee with The Times, he shelp his wife “has been suffering a lot” due to his political atgentle and claimed the media has “demonised” her.