On August 6, 2025, Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, finally stood at the photo line as a suspect summoned by the special prosecutor's team. It was a symbolic moment, as a sanctuary that had remained uninvestigated despite numerous allegations and criminal charges was finally crumbling. In a situation where public trust in equality before the law had been shaken, this special prosecution must prove that the rule of law is alive through a thorough and rigorous investigation.
At the photo line, Ms. Kim showed a humble attitude, saying, "I am sorry for causing concern, being such an insignificant person." However, not many people would take this statement at face value. During the last presidential election, when plagiarism and false career allegations arose, she also bowed her head and promised, "Even if my husband becomes president, I will only be faithful to my role as a wife." She later broke that promise, however, as allegations of meddling in state affairs, such as interfering in the People Power Party's nominations, were raised. This deceptive behavior of temporarily lowering her profile when public opinion is fierce and then returning to her original demeanor when the situation calms down has been repeated.
The problem is that this deceit and deception were not merely on a personal level. To cover up her lies, Ms. Kim mobilized her husband's power, undermining the discipline of state institutions. As a result, the prosecution lost its credibility and faced a crisis of dissolution, and power-monitoring bodies like the Board of Audit and Inspection and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission were also criticized for losing their proper functions. Ultimately, this fundamentally shook the public's trust in the rule of law.
Now, stopgap crisis management will no longer work. The power that covered up Ms. Kim's lies has disappeared, and now only the facts exist. To be recognized as genuine, she must reveal all the facts as they are during the special prosecutor's investigation. However, she is still suspected of trying to find a way out with lies, as her explanations for the "NATO necklace" have changed multiple times. Her consistent deceptive behavior, such as being captured leaving the hospital in a wheelchair to avoid arrest due to illness, only to get into a car perfectly fine, has sparked public outrage.
In addition to the criminal charges specified in the Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor Act, continuous additional offenses are being raised. Each of the charges, such as the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation and receiving luxury bribes, are serious crimes that are difficult to avoid a heavy sentence for. The reason why one individual's list of crimes has grown so long is a history of building one lie upon another for a long time without ever being punished under the protection of legal and political power. The only way to restore the broken discipline of the state and rebuild the rule of law is through a thorough investigation and a corresponding punishment. This special prosecution investigation will be an important test, not just for Kim Keon-hee as an individual, but for restoring the broken judicial justice of the Republic of Korea.
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