Ruling bloc blasts court after Kim Keon Hee gets 1 year, 8 months
Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, who was indicted on charges including stock-price manipulation involving Deutsche Motors, was sentenced in a first trial to 1 year and 8 months, far below what prosecutors sought. Lawmakers in the ruling bloc responded with broad criticism of the court.
On Tuesday, Park Soo-hyun, senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said, “Kim, a ‘comprehensive case of power-type corruption,’ was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months.” He said it marked “the first case in constitutional history in which a former president and spouse have both been punished,” but added the sentence was “nowhere near enough” for “shaking democracy with insurrection and ruining state affairs for private gain.”
Park said the ruling “left many regrets,” arguing there was clear evidence Kim “manipulated the capital market and gained more than 800 million won in illicit profits,” yet the court did not recognize her as a co-perpetrator. He criticized the court’s reasoning, quoting it as saying it was “difficult to conclude co-perpetration even if she recognized price-manipulation acts.”
Parties agree to pass chip bill, filibuster chair-transfer rule at plenary
The ruling and opposition parties agreed to pass a special semiconductor bill and a revision to the National Assembly Act at a plenary session on Wednesday.
The agreement was reached Tuesday in a meeting in the National Assembly steering committee chair’s office between Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do and People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seok.
The proposed Assembly Act revision would allow the National Assembly speaker to transfer presiding authority during prolonged unlimited debate, citing fatigue. The parties decided to keep the current handwritten method for voting to end a filibuster, rejecting a switch to electronic voting.
Late ex-Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan to be buried in Sejong after Jan. 31 rites
Former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, who died on Jan. 25 while on a business trip to Vietnam, will have a funeral procession on Jan. 31, followed by a memorial service at the National Assembly, and will be buried in Sejong City.
Lee Hae-sik, a Democratic Party lawmaker serving as vice chair of the funeral committee’s executive body, told reporters Tuesday at the funeral hall at Seoul National University Hospital.
According to Lee, the procession will be held at 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, followed by visits to the office of the National Unification Advisory Council and the Democratic Party headquarters for rites.
A memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, followed by cremation at 11 a.m. at the Seoul Memorial Park in Seocho-dong. The cortege will then visit the deceased’s home in Jeondong-myeon, Sejong, before burial at Sejong’s Eunahsu Park.
Presidential office: Real estate tax overhaul not ready within a month or two
The presidential office said it is approaching discussions on real estate tax changes cautiously because of their potential market impact, while stressing the need for a long-term review to address underlying housing issues.
On Tuesday, Kim Yong-beom, the presidential office’s policy chief, told a news briefing that “taxation is an important part” if the government is to find a fundamental solution to real estate problems. But he said it is “not something to announce within a month or two,” adding it is a topic that requires “long-term, in-depth discussions involving multiple ministries.”
His remarks suggested the government is not immediately reviewing tax regulations, while acknowledging taxation as a possible tool for addressing deeper real estate problems. It also left room for the possibility of using tax measures if market conditions change sharply.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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