▲ The Presidential Office building
The 2nd General Special Counsel Team led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining suspicions following the three special counsels (concerning the insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, and the death of a marine), has secured testimony that an office for President's spouse Kim Keon-hee existed within the presidential office since the early days of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
The special counsel team recently secured testimony from an official at the Presidential Security Service to the effect that "an office for the first lady was established in the Yongsan presidential office during the early days of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration" and is verifying the facts.
It is reported that Kim Keon-hee's office was about half the size of a floor in the presidential office, and that 1 billion won was spent to install bulletproof facilities such as glass windows.
Right after its inauguration, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration abolished the 2nd Attached Office, which officially assists the president's spouse, with the aim of eliminating noises surrounding Kim Keon-hee.
However, as various controversies regarding Kim Keon-hee continued to arise afterward, the 2nd Attached Office was revived in November 2024.
The special counsel team is also reported to have secured testimony that around September 2022, Kim Keon-hee summoned working-level officials from the security service and asked, "The presidential office is too empty," inquiring whether construction budget could be secured.
Kim Keon-hee's legal counsel released a statement today (August 5), refuting the claims by stating, "An office for the first lady existed in the past Cheong Wa Dae, but there was no office space for the first lady in the early days of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration." They added, "It is true that when the establishment of the 2nd Attached Office was announced in the second half of 2024, a 2nd Attached Office and a first lady's office were established on a small scale in an empty space within the presidential office."
(Photo: Capture from Facebook fan club 'Gunhee Sarang', Yonhap News)
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