“Kim Eui-hwan, Consul General in New York, was created by First Lady Kim Kun-hee.”

▶ Rep. Han Jeong-ae raises suspicions about Kim Kun-hee’s connections at the Foreign Affairs and Communications Commission

▶ Founding promoter of ‘Forum 2020’… Kim Geon-hee as head of the arts support team

<img alt="“Kim Eui-hwan, Consul General in New York, was created by First Lady Kim Kun-hee.”” title=”“Kim Eui-hwan, Consul General in New York, was created by First Lady Kim Kun-hee.”” src=”http://image.koreatimes.com/article/2024/11/12/20241112081737671.jpg”/>

At the National Assembly audit of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held at the National Assembly on the 7th, Rep. Han Jeong-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea claimed that Kim Ui-hwan, Consul General in New York, worked together with First Lady Kim Kun-hee and the Presidential Secretary known as ‘Ms. Kim Line’. [국회방송 캡처]

Suspicion was raised that New York Consul General Kim Eui-hwan, who caused controversy with his remarks at the August 15 Liberation Day ceremony held at the New York Korean Community Center in August of this year, was connected to First Lady Kim Kun-hee.

According to Korean media, at the plenary session of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held at the Korean National Assembly on the 7th, Rep. Jeong-ae Han of the Democratic Party of Korea said, “In 2000, Kim Eui-hwan, the current Consul General in New York, created ‘Forum 2020’ and its current name was changed to ‘Forum Better Future’.” He said, “In the process of reorganizing this forum in 2010, Protocol Secretary Lee Ki-jeong, who is now mentioned as one of the top officials in the President’s Office, was brought in.”

In addition, he claimed, “Ms. Kim Kun-hee also participated in the forum (as the head of the arts support team),” and “Kim Eui-hwan (Consul General)’s backstory is not because he looks good to President Yoon Seok-yeol or because someone recommended it, but he was created by First Lady Kim Kun-hee.”

Representative Han also said, “Consul General Kim heard the remarks of the head of the Korean Liberation Association branch in New York, who read the commemorative speech by Lee Jong-chan, Chairman of the Liberation Day, during the Liberation Day event (held at the New York Korean Center this year) and said, ‘I wonder if I should be sitting here as I listen to such nonsense. “He is the person who said, ‘I heard this,’” he said, recalling the fact that he was criticized by lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties during the last government audit in the Americas.

One lawmaker said, “He did not give up his opinion, saying that he had no intention or intention of apologizing despite criticism from members of the National Assembly. He also said that he spoke strongly to the media because the media would accept it if he spoke in a more edgy way, and he appeared to object even more strongly to the criticism of members. “It has been seen,” he added.

He continued, “I thought that person had some kind of background so he would talk so strongly about it. “I wondered what kind of relationship he had with President Yoon Seok-yeol that caught his eye and gave him the position of consul general in New York, but I found out,” he said. “It wasn’t President Yoon who was behind him.”

Previously, at the Liberation Day commemoration event held at the New York Korean Center in Manhattan, Consul General Kim said of Lee Jong-chan, Chairman of the Liberation Association, “I wondered if I should be sitting here right now while listening to the speech that did not even sound like words,” and “We must crush the pro-North Korea leftist forces inside the Republic of Korea.” There was controversy over his inappropriate words and actions as a public official. Afterwards, Consul General Kim said, “I am confident.

He said, “I am a specially appointed (civil servant), so I don’t pay attention like an ordinary civil servant of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” At the Foreign Affairs and National Security Committee audit held at the Korean Mission to the United Nations in Manhattan on October 12, he caused controversy when he answered “I have no intention of apologizing” to a question from a member of the National Assembly. there is.