South Korea’s probes of Yoon and wife: search for truth or ‘political revenge’?

The new ruling party has passed bills to investigate Yoon’s martial law declaration, former first lady and cover-up of a marine’s death

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Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, at a polling station in Seoul on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap

Published: 1:43pm, 9 Jun 2025Updated: 4:02pm, 9 Jun 2025

The passage of three laws mandating special investigations into corruption and abuse of power allegations involving impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol and his controversial wife marks a significant setback for South Korea’s conservatives, according to analysts.

Former first lady Kim Keon-hee was long considered beyond the reach of law enforcement, largely due to her outsize influence over her husband and state affairs.

But that “untouchable” status appears to be fading following a change in political leadership after six months of chaos sparked by Yoon’s martial law fiasco last December.

When the couple’s political nemesis, liberal President Lee Jae-myung, was elected on Tuesday, he pledged in his inauguration speech to “bring those responsible to justice through thorough investigations”.

Two days later, his ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) pushed through bills calling for special investigations into the December 3 martial law declaration, alleged cover-up of a marine’s death in 2023, and the former first lady. The three bills are expected to take effect as early as this week, once formally endorsed by Lee.

Supporters hand flowers to President Lee Jae-myung as he departs for the National Assembly to attend his inauguration ceremony on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters

“This move provides momentum to resolve the aftermath of the martial law decree and put the country’s politics back on a normal track,” Jhee Byong-kuen, a political-science professor at Chosun University, told This Week in Asia.