Revealed texts from first lady spark feud between Yoon, Han allies

Tensions between politicians aligned with President Yoon Suk Yeol and Han Dong-hoon, a candidate to lead the conservative People Power Party are rising following the unveiling of text messages sent from first lady Kim Keon Hee to Han.

First lady Kim Keon Hee arrives at Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Monday. [YONHAP]

Tensions between politicians aligned with President Yoon Suk Yeol and Han Dong-hoon, a candidate to lead the conservative People Power Party (PPP), are rising following the unveiling of text messages sent from first lady Kim Keon Hee to Han ahead of the party's national convention.

A local media outlet on Monday revealed the full text of five messages sent by Kim to then-PPP interim leader Han from Jan. 15 through 25 over the Telegram app.

According to the report, on Jan. 15, first lady Kim apologized to Han on behalf of Yoon, mentioning how Han would have felt "uncomfortable" because of the president and a bill seeking a special probe against her.

“I apologize a hundred times,” Kim's text read, suggesting Han call the president, whom she calls “V” in the message.

The text was sent after Yoon vetoed a special probe bill on Jan. 5 involving Kim's alleged manipulation of stock prices.

In another text on the same day, she again apologized, saying, “Everything is my fault.”

Kim sent three more messages offering apologies to Han on Jan. 19, 23 and 25.

On Jan. 19, she said she would follow the emergency steering committee’s decision if they believed it was right for her to apologize to the public.

In a text sent on Jan. 25, Kim said, “I understand you would have felt upset after the president loudly expressed his anger about the past incident.”

“I hope the two of you can resolve any misunderstandings over a meal,” the text continued, offering another apology.

Han did not respond to any of the texts after reading them at the time. Speaking with reporters on Friday, he said he didn't want to resolve a public matter through private channels.

He also claimed that the first lady maintained her intention not to apologize to the public, considering the overall context of the texts and the circumstances at the time.

In the lead-up to the April 10 general election, Han reportedly clashed with the president over issues including election nominations and the handling of allegations that the first lady accepted a Dior bag from a pastor in 2022, leading to a publicly visible chill between the two.

Pro-Yoon lawmakers fiercely criticized Han after the texts were revealed.

“Han should accept his misjudgment and apologize for causing a negative impact on the general election,” PPP Rep. Kwon Seong-dong wrote on his Facebook account.

Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, former PPP chief, also asked how Han interpreted the revealed text messages as a refusal by the first lady to apologize.

The presidential office told reporters not to further mention the texting issue on Monday as they had already addressed their stance a day earlier, saying that they “have not intervened in the PPP national convention race and will continue not doing so in the future.”

Last December, Han became the PPP's emergency steering committee chairman after stepping down as Yoon's justice minister but later resigned from the post to take responsibility for the party's crushing defeat in the April 10 general election.

Han is running to become the PPP’s next chief through the party’s upcoming convention slated for July 23. He is up against Rep. Na Kyung-won, former Land Minister Won Hee-ryong and Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, all of whom possess more political experience than him.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]