By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-10-18 01:34:40 | Updated at 2024-10-18 04:22:58
4 hours ago
South Korea’s ruling party leader has urged President Yoon Suk-yeol to rein in his embattled wife Kim Keon-hee and implement sweeping changes to the presidential office, signalling a deepening crisis in his scandals-hit administration.
“The situation has deteriorated significantly, not just because of the opposition’s political attacks, but due to our failure to dispel the public’s doubts about the first lady,” Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party (PPP), said on Thursday during a party meeting.
“First and foremost, it is urgent that the presidential office undergoes a significant reshuffle in relation to [the first lady issue],” he added.
Analysts say Han’s appeal underscores the mounting crisis within Yoon’s administration, which is struggling to manage growing allegations of misconduct involving Kim and a sharp decline in the president’s approval ratings.
His comments came after prosecutors, widely believed by the public to be under Yoon’s strong influence, opted not to pursue charges against Kim over allegations of stock manipulation.
In response, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) introduced a new bill on Thursday seeking a special investigation into the first lady, its third attempt after two previous similar bills were vetoed by Yoon.
