SEOUL: President Yoon Suk Yeol has expressed his willingness to appoint a special inspector to investigate concerns involving First Lady Kim Keon Hee, conditional upon an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties to nominate candidates, a senior presidential official stated. This development arises amidst ongoing political tensions and calls for greater transparency in the administration. According to Yonhap News Agency, Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), has advocated for the appointment of an independent inspector tasked with scrutinizing issues related to the president's spouse, relatives, and senior aides. The legal framework mandates that the National Assembly propose three candidates with a minimum of 15 years of legal experience, from which the president is to appoint one. However, this position has remained unoccupied since 2016 following the resignation of the previous inspector. A senior presidential official reiterated President Yoon's stance, emphasizing that he would proceed with the appointment if both the ruling and opposition parties reach a consensus on candidate recommendations. The call for a special inspector is part of broader demands by Han, who during a meeting with President Yoon, called for restrictions on the First Lady's public activities to alleviate public concerns and potentially improve the approval ratings of both the president and the ruling party. Despite these calls, the PPP has yet to propose candidates for the inspector role. Instead, they have urged the Democratic Party (DP) to recommend board members for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation, an entity that has been dormant for eight years due to the DP's inaction in the nomination process. A senior official from the ruling party highlighted the need for clarity on whether the inspector appointment should be tied to the foundation's nominations, indicating that discussions within the party are ongoing. The push for a special inspector is underscored by the DP's recent reintrodu ction of a bill advocating for a special counsel investigation into the allegations concerning First Lady Kim. The allegations include her purported involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, the illegal receipt of a luxury bag, and interference in the PPP's candidate nominations for the upcoming general elections in April.
