SEOUL – South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to address questions in a TV interview over whether the First Lady inappropriately received a designer bag, trying to stem public anger over the incident that has hit voter sentiment.
KBS said it would broadcast its pre-recorded interview with Mr Yoon on Feb 7 from 10pm to 11.40pm local time.
The interview was conducted over the weekend and the President is expected to address issues that include the government’s plan for 2024 and matters related to the First Lady.
The President has yet to speak publicly about a video released that appeared to show his wife Kim Keon-hee receiving a Christian Dior bag valued at about US$2,200 (S$2,955) from a Korean-American pastor in September 2022.
The video was shot with a hidden camera and released on the YouTube channel of a liberal political group.
The support rate for Mr Yoon fell to its lowest level since April 2023 in the latest weekly tracking poll from Gallup Korea amid simmering questions over the incident.
A separate poll conducted on Jan 21 and 22 by cable TV channel YTN showed that almost 70 per cent of respondents thought Mr Yoon needed to address the issue.
The incident has cast a shadow over the President as his conservative People Power Party (PPP) is trying to wrest control of Parliament in an April 2024 election, which is shaping up to be a tight race.
The Gallup Poll released on Feb 2 also showed the support rate for PPP fell to 34 per cent from 36 per cent from the week before, with the rate for the main opposition Democratic Party unchanged at 35 per cent.
The Democratic Party is focusing on the First Lady and has used its majority in Parliament to push through a measure in December 2023 calling for a special investigation into allegations of stock manipulation.
Mr Yoon vetoed the Bill, and his wife has denied any wrongdoing.
South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term, and the April 2024 election will determine whether Mr Yoon can push through his agenda or if he will continue to face gridlock in the state council for his three years left in office.
If the PPP seizes control of Parliament from the opposition, it is likely to push through economic policies that include taking on powerful labour unions, reducing regulations on businesses, and tax cuts for companies. BLOOMBERG
