South Korea's former first lady has been embroiled in yet another controversy after it was revealed she allegedly sat on a royal throne during a private visit to the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.
Kim Keon Hee, the wife of impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol, sat atop the king’s throne in the Geunjeongjeon hall of the main palace during a welcoming ceremony for guests from the UAE in 2023, the Korea Heritage Service (KHS) said on Wednesday.
Gyeongbokgung Palace was the main royal residence and the seat of government during the Joseon period, from 1392-1910. The red and gold throne in Geunjeongjeon is considered the highest authority of the monarch and sits higher than the court officials' seats.
The Geunjeongjeon is one of the most popular spots for tourists in the Gyeongbokgung Palace, despite visitors being prohibited from entering the main area. No past president has sat on the king's throne, KHS, a government agency entrusted with the protection of Korean national heritage, said.
The KHS revealed that the presidential office requested the visit and the chief of the agency at the time gave the order for preparations, according to The Korea Herald. The government agency said the throne Ms Kim sat atop was not the original but a replica built later.
Ms Kim's visit to the palace in September 2023, when the venue was closed to the public, has triggered major backlash from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.
One of the accompanying officials testified before the National Assembly this week that she climbed the steps beside the podium and sat on the throne.
“She walked up the steps beside the podium, helped by her guards, and sat on the throne,” testified Chung Yong-seok, a former presidential aide.
You Hong June, the chief of the National Museum of Korea, during his testimony said he thought Ms Kim sitting on the throne was "wrong, as do all the people (in Korea)."
Lee Ki Heon from the ruling party claimed Ms Kim used the side path, which is "reserved for the king". Another Democratic Party member quipped, "she must have dreamed of becoming a queen", according to the South China Morning Post.
Ms Kim was previously accused of violating South Korean heritage after it was revealed in September 2024 that she and her guests drank tea in a typically inaccessible section of Jongmyo, a shrine from the Joseon era.
South Korea opened a criminal trial against Ms Kim last month following her arrest on a range of charges, including stock manipulation and corruption.
The former president Yoon was removed from office in April over his ill-fated imposition of martial law and sent back to prison in August as he stands a high-stakes trial over rebellion and other charges.
Mr Yoon, a conservative, faces investigations into other criminal allegations that are not related to his 3 December martial law decree but target him, his wife and others.
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