South Korean president apologises for first lady scandals, claims unfair media portrayal
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol apologised for causing concerns about him and his wife (AP: Kim Hong-Ji / Pool)
In short:
The South Korean president has publicly apologised for scandals involving him and his wife.
Mr Yoon however, denied allegations of criminality and claimed opponents had demonised the first lady.
What's next?
The president rejected calls for an independent investigation, saying an office would be established to support the first lady's official duties.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has delivered a public apology for recent scandals involving his wife, but denied wrongdoing in a burgeoning influence-peddling controversy that has damaged his approval ratings.
The political firestorm coincides with South Korea facing several critical foreign policy issues, including Donald Trump's election win and North Korea's reported entry into the Russia-Ukraine war.
The latest scandal centres around allegations that Mr Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee exerted inappropriate influence on the conservative ruling People Power Party over the selection of a by-election candidate in 2022.
It's alleged this was at the request of Myung Tae-kyun, a pollster and political powerbroker who conducted free opinion polls for Mr Yoon before he became president.
The first lady has been grappling with several scandals in recent months. (Reuters: Kim Hong-Ji / pool)
The scandal has made headlines for weeks in South Korea, with Mr Myung's leaked phone conversations reportedly showing how he boasted of influence over the presidential couple and other top officials.
Asked about ties to the powerbroker during a press conference on Thursday, Mr Yoon insisted he "didn't do anything inappropriate" and has "nothing to hide".
But the liberal opposition Democratic Party said Mr Yoon's response only showed his "arrogance" and "self-righteousness."
The party had earlier demanded Mr Yoon apologise, reshuffle top officials and accept an independent investigation into his wife.
The first lady has been grappling with several scandals, including spy camera footage purportedly showing her accepting a luxury Dior bag as a gift from a pastor.
Mr Yoon apologised for causing concerns about him and his wife, but also stressed that many allegations raised were not consistent with facts.
"I believe the role of the president is not to make excuses. All of this is due to my own shortcomings and lack of virtue. I would like to extend my heartfelt apologies to the public," he said.
The president said his wife had made some mistakes, but had also been "demonised" by "exaggerated" claims against her, South Korean public broadcaster KBS reported.
"She should have conducted herself with greater caution, and the fact that she has caused concern to the public is unquestionably wrong," Mr Yoon said, according to the Yonhap news agency.
The president rejected calls for an independent investigation into the first lady, saying instead that an office would be established to support her official duties.
Recent surveys show Mr Yoon's approval rating has fallen below 20 per cent for the first time since his inauguration.
But some ruling party politicians have accused the Democratic Party of deliberately ramping up political attacks on Mr Yoon and his wife in an effort to rescue its own embattled leader, Lee Jae-myung, from legal troubles.
Surveys show Mr Lee is the early favourite for the 2027 presidential race to succeed Mr Yoon.
ABC/AP