Heritage agency files complaint against Kim Keon Hee over private use of cultural sites

Kim Keon Hee, fourth from left, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and Lee Bae-yong, fifth from left, former National Education Commission chairperson, stand together at a location presumed to be Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbok Palace in this September 2023 photo. Kim allegedly sat on the royal throne during this visit to the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted from 1392-1910. Captured from YouTube

The Korea Heritage Service (KHS) filed a criminal complaint against Kim Keon Hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, with Seoul’s Jongno Police Station, Wednesday, following an internal audit that found state-managed cultural heritage sites and resources were allegedly used for private purposes.

The complaint stems from a special audit launched by the agency last November to investigate matters related to state heritage involving the former president and his spouse. The KHS noted this internal investigation was separate from a special probe already transferred to police.

According to the audit findings, Kim allegedly held a private tea gathering at Mangmyoru Pavilion inside Jongmyo Shrine, an area normally closed to the public, for reasons unrelated to official state events or diplomatic receptions. The report also states that Kim exceeded her authority regarding national heritage affairs by conducting advance inspections of an official commemorative event for the restoration of Gwanghwamun’s Woldae platform and signboard and by touring restricted areas of the National Palace Museum, including storage spaces.

Further allegations include organizing a private tea meeting on a museum closure day and sitting on the ceremonial royal throne at Geunjeongjeon Hall in Gyeongbok Palace during a pre-event inspection, actions the agency said obstructed regular heritage management.

Visitors explore Mangmyoru Pavilion at Jongmyo Shrine in central Seoul in this May 2024 file photo. The pavilion, once used to prepare for royal ancestral rites, is normally closed to the public and opens only for special occasions. Former first lady Kim Keon Hee is accused of using the space for a private, closed-door gathering. Korea Times file

Based on these findings, KHS concluded that Kim’s actions amounted to the private use of public resources and interference with heritage management, potentially violating criminal statutes on obstruction of official duties, anti-graft laws and cultural heritage regulations.

The agency also requested disciplinary action against the head of its Royal Palaces and Tombs Center for failing to prevent the suspected private use of heritage resources and for excluding agency officials from certain private events.

Public scrutiny of Kim’s private meeting at Jongmyo Shrine surfaced earlier in Yoon’s presidency, prompting the heritage agency to issue an apology in late 2024 for what it described as improper private use of the UNESCO-listed site. Kim’s visit included a closed-door tea gathering at Mangmyoru Pavilion, with antique furniture brought in from nearby palaces for the occasion.