| Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, bows in apology during a press conference at the party's headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday, over allegations she inappropriately used a public servant and corporate card for personal errands during her husband's term as governor of Gyeonggi Province. Yonhap |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has initiated legal action against the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung and his wife Kim Hye-kyung for abuse of power and causing loss to the state treasury.
The suit comes as the DPK candidate's wife is mired in allegations that she used a corporate card to pay for groceries, meals, medicine and other daily products for her and her family. Fresh allegations have arisen almost daily recently.
Under mounting pressure, Kim made an official apology Wednesday over her alleged abuse of power and misuse of her husband's corporate card. She apologized for not separating the personal and public sides of her life as the wife of a public servant, but did not address the specifics of the allegations.
Her apology came some 12 days after a report by broadcaster SBS citing an official of the Gyeonggi provincial government, identified only as Bae, who claimed that he had been ordered to run personal errands for Kim using the office's credit card through her aide and his superior at the general affairs department.
When asked for details on the range of corporate card misuses, Kim avoided a direct answer and said, "I heard that the allegations are under investigation and audit. I will cooperate to reveal the truth and be responsible for the result."
The informant said Kim's apology lacked sincerity and revealed more cases of Kim using the corporate card for personal use.
The PPP denounced Kim's apology as no more than an "eight-minute show." Rep. Kwon Young-se of the PPP and Yoon's campaign chief, said Kim's apology "had neither subject nor object."
"'Integrity' is a most unlikely word for Lee Jae-myung and Kim Hye-kyung. The judicial authorities should investigate thoroughly, not relying on the Gyeonggi provincial government's self-audit," Kwon said.
| Kim Keon-hee, the wife of main opposition People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, speaks during a press conference at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, to apologize for false information about work experience on a resume she used to gain employment, Dec. 26, 2021. Korea Times file |
As the PPP continues to attack Kim Hye-kyung's abuse of power, the DPK is focusing on allegations of Yoon's wife Kim Keon-hee being engaged in stock price manipulation of Deutsch Motors, a BMW car dealer in Korea.
The DPK released a statement Thursday, claiming that Kim Keon-hee owned 7.5 percent of the total outstanding shares of Deutsch Motors and she might have been the second largest shareholder of the company following its chairman Kwon Oh-soo.
According to a report by broadcaster KBS, Kim Keon-hee's account was used for multiple stock transactions while the stock price manipulation was taking place.
"Kim is likely to have been engaged in the stock price manipulation as she invested some 2.2 billion won in a relatively lesser-known stock," a DPK official in Lee's camp said.
The scandals around the wives of the two leading candidates is having an impact on voters choices.
According to a survey by Kantar Korea, requested by the Seoul Economic Daily, of 1,008 voters from Feb. 8 to 9, 56 percent answered allegations against Kim Hye-kyung's will have a negative influence over Lee's support rate, while 47.8 percent said suspicions over Kim Keon-hee will deal a blow to Yoon's rate.
Further details of the aforementioned surveys are available at the websites of each polling agency or the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.