There could be serious problems ahead for South Korea's new administration which takes power May 10. One of the independent journalism channels in South Korea ( 열린공감TV ) has been making the case for the last couple of days, that the Guru, holy man, wizard, shaman whatever you want to call him, Cheon Gong, has been advising either Kim Gon-hee, (the new first lady) and/or President Elect Yoon Seok-yeol, on matters of state policy. Examples: 1) not moving into the Blue House, but the Ministry of National Defense Building in Yongsan disrupting the national security chain of command; 2) advising the president and his transition committee, to not accept the compromise brokered in the National Assembly on prosecution reform and the administration of criminal justice in South Korea which is corrupt and highly politicized; 3) recommending that the Blue House become an “exhibition hall” for the public or museum of sorts (the first lady’s business is booking and managing “art exhibitions” usually paid for by powerful commercial interests). The latter is regarded as a means of illegal sponsorship or cover for influence peddling. Trading in works of "fine art" is actually not uncommon among highly placed conservative politicians’ wives.
So this is a Rasputin type relationship with a first family that has a few screws loose. Imagine a newly elected US president that would not move into the White House but will instead move into a wing of the Pentagon, and demand that the Secretary of Defense or Joint Chiefs move their offices to make it possible. This guru has said that the legislature doesn’t embody the people’s will, but the question of reforming the criminal justice system should be put on a referendum to the people. This in fact, is what the transition committee announced one week later when Yoon's party filed his petition for an injunction against the legislature. This is bizarre to say the least.
