Fansite of Kim Keon Hee takes down photo of ex-first couple
Operators of website vows to be reborn as 'community for the pan-conservative bloc'
A former online fan base of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee has taken down the couple's photo from its main page, just as the special probe the couple was approved Tuesday.
"In order to minimize the momentum lost after President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment and to contribute to the victory in the upcoming (People Power Party) conference and the local elections (in 2026), we are expanding from the fan website of president and first lady to a community for the pan-conservative bloc," the operators of the Naver Cafe page GeonSarang (Queen Gunhee) posted. They invited cafe members to suggest a new name for the site.
The photo change has garnered mixed reactions from cafe members, as some protested the move as cowardice in light of the liberals taking power.
The website, operational since Dec. 19 of 2021, was one of the largest devoted to the former first couple, with 81,238 members. Most of its sections are inaccessible to non-members, although one is titled "Shall be bash on the Democratic Party?" referring to the liberal party of President Lee.
Newly elected President Lee, the biggest political rival of his conservative predecessor, butted heads with Yoon on a number of occasions during the previous administration, particularly with his party seeking for passage of special probe bills against Kim. It was alleged that Yoon had ordered Lee's arrest during his short-lived martial law imposition in December.
As one of the first moves as the president, Lee is pushing for the passage of bills that would authorize special counsels on numerous allegations against Yoon and his wife. This includes the matters related to the aforementioned botched martial law bid by Yoon. Kim faces corruption allegations, including stock price manipulation, unlawfully accepting a luxury bag and interfering with the election nomination process.
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