Lydia Ko denies giving golf lessons to first lady amid political controversy
Summary
Lydia Ko denied involvement in an alleged golf lesson with first lady Kim Hea Kyung at Taereung Golf Club in Seoul on Oct. 20. Ko said she was attending a sponsor event and would consider legal action over unverified claims. Rep. Joo Jin-woo alleged the lesson took place on the day a deadly fire injured 19 people in Seoul. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said it would file a criminal complaint against Joo, while Cheong Wa Dae warned it would hold those spreading false information accountable.
Key Facts
- Ko said on social media that she had no connection to the reported matter and intended to take legal action, as appropriate, against posts or articles spreading unverified false information or damaging her reputation.
- The fire in Yeoksam-dong left five people seriously injured and 14 with minor injuries.
- Joo said he had obtained video footage and other evidence to support his allegation about the golf lesson.
- On Oct. 11, Joo alleged that President Lee Jae Myung had played golf on the day a commercial building collapsed in Daegu, injuring 38 people.
- Ko has 23 career victories on the LPGA Tour and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2024.
A CCTV image purportedly showing first lady Kim Hea Kyung at Taereung Golf Club in Seoul, Oct. 20 / Courtesy of office of Rep. Joo Jin-woo of People Power Party
Lydia Ko waves after winning the gold medal in the women's individual golf event at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Guyancourt, France, in August 2024. Yonhap
Golfer Lydia Ko denied any involvement in an alleged golf outing with first lady Kim Hea Kyung, Monday, following claims by an opposition lawmaker that the first lady had received golf lessons from a prominent professional golfer on the day of a deadly fire in Seoul.
"I was attending an official event hosted by a sponsor on the date in question and had absolutely no connection to the matter reported," Ko wrote on social media. "I intend to take legal action, as appropriate, against articles or social media posts that spread unverified false information or damage my reputation."
Earlier that morning, Rep. Joo Jin-woo of the main opposition People Power Party alleged that the first lady had received private golf lessons from the professional golfer at Taereung Golf Club in Seoul on Oct. 20, the day a man in his 70s set fire to two buildings in Seoul's southern Yeoksam-dong. The fire left five people seriously injured and 14 others with minor injuries.
He claimed to have obtained video footage and other evidence to support his allegations.
It was not the first time Joo had accused members of the presidential family of indulging in "luxury golf." On Oct. 11, Joo also alleged that President Lee Jae Myung had played golf on the same day a commercial building collapsed in Daegu, injuring 38 people.
Cheong Wa Dae later explained that Lee had gone golfing during the holiday after repeatedly postponing the outing because of overseas trips and weekend commitments. It added that the president paid for the round out of his own pocket.
In response to Joo's latest allegations, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea announced that it would soon file a criminal complaint against him for "repeatedly spreading false information about the president's family."
Cheong Wa Dae also issued a statement to the press, warning that it would "hold those who report unverified allegations as fact or spread false information strictly accountable."
Ko rose to prominence as a teenage golf prodigy and has amassed 23 career victories on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. She was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame in 2024. She is married to the youngest son of Hyundai Card Vice Chairman Chung Tae-young.
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