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During a banquet with Korean diplomats on March 27, 2023, first lady Kim Keon-hee (right) toasts with then-Ambassador to the US Cho Tae-yong. (courtesy of the presidential office)

After appearing to have little connection to her husband’s martial law fiasco, first lady Kim Keon-hee faces public scrutiny once more amid revelations that she sent two texts to the director of the National Intelligence Service on the day before martial law was declared. 

Considering that Kim has long been dogged by accusations of using her position to meddle in government affairs, her contact with the head of the state intelligence agency during a politically sensitive period is expected to come under fire. 

During the eighth hearing of Yoon’s impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Thursday, the fact that Kim texted NIS Director Cho Tae-yong the day before the insurrection incident was made public for the first time. 

The fact was revealed while Jang Sun-uk, an attorney representing the National Assembly, questioned Cho, who took the stand as a witness during the hearing. Jang, referring to Cho’s mobile phone records that he obtained from the relevant telecommunications firm, said, “You received two texts from the first lady on Dec. 2, the day before martial law. You didn’t respond that day, but responded the next day. Do you remember?” 

Cho responded, “I have no memory [of the text].”

Cho was one of the people present at a banquet held at the president’s safe house eight months prior, where Yoon reportedly referred to taking “emergency measures.” Cho was also present at the Cabinet meeting held before the martial law declaration. 

The first lady, who is not a public official, communicating with the head of the NIS is itself unprecedented, and raises suspicions as to whether an unelected figure was interfering in national governance. When the National Assembly attorney suggested that it was “strange” that Cho had exchanged texts with the first lady on the day that martial law was declared and asked why the head of the state spy agency would need to text with the first lady, Cho responded, “It’s not something that happened often.” 

The content of the texts exchanged between Cho and Kim has not been confirmed. 

This is not the first time Kim has found herself in hot water over controversial texts. In January of last year, she sent several texts to Han Dong-hoon, who was then the interim leader of the People Power Party, to discuss her acceptance of a luxury handbag, a source of controversy at the time. The fact that this text exchange occurred was revealed during a ruling party convention. Critics accused Kim of using her position to influence governmental matters. 

Kim also sparked controversy when it was revealed that she exchanged as many as 332 KakaoTalk text messages with the deputy chief of the Busan High Prosecutors’ Office when Yoon was the prosecutor general. 

Kim Yong-nam, the chief of the Reform Party’s policy committee, weighed in on the controversy while appearing on a YouTube broadcast called “Maebul Show” on the same day. 

“In what world does the first lady communicate with the head of the NIS?” Kim asked.

“Cho apparently replied the next day, and what they discussed could be very incriminating,” he added. 

Shin In-kyu, an attorney who appeared on the same broadcast, suggested that investigators should look into whether Kim was involved in the martial law debacle.

Many have taken to social media and online forums to criticize the first lady’s actions. 

One internet user said, “Based on how she texted Han Dong-hoon, she seems to be accustomed to ordering presidential employees as if they were personal servants.” 

“I knew there wasn’t a chance that Kim would miss an opportunity to further ruin the country,” another internet user said.

Regarding Cho’s claim that he did not text with Kim that often, one internet user said, “If it didn’t occur that regularly, then shouldn’t you remember it?” 

Another user said, “If it didn’t occur that often, then that means it happened before.” 

By Shim Woo-sam, staff reporter

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