Subhechcha Ganguly 
On Saturday, South Korea’s opposition-led parliament rejected a bill that called for a special counsel investigation into First Lady Kim Keon-hee, according to Reuters. The opposition introduced the bill in relation to allegations of stock price manipulation and poll result tampering involving a power broker. Bloomberg reported that 102 out of 300 lawmakers voted against the bill. Kim Keon-hee had been acquitted in a case involving stock manipulation tied to Deutsche Motors, with the court ruling in favor of the defense, which argued that she was unaware her account was being used for transactions by an external manager, as reported by the Korean daily Hankyoreh.
However, questions have been raised about her ties to Myung Tae-Kyun, a self-proclaimed political consultant who is currently under investigation for his alleged role in influencing the nomination of candidates for top government positions, according to The Korea Times. Kim Keon-hee has been at the center of multiple controversies, sparking calls for probes into her and her art exhibition company, Covana Contents. She also faced public backlash after a secretly recorded video surfaced on YouTube, showing her accepting a 2,200 Dior luxury handbag from a pastor, which violated South Korean laws prohibiting public officials from accepting gifts worth more than $750.
