Kim Jong-tae, a columnist and pundit, appears regularly on OhMyTV News, an independent media source. Kim is often critical of the Yoon administration. In this instance, Kim reports that the Yoon presidential office has filed a complaint about Kim's reporting, because it paints a suspicious relationship between Dosa Cheon Gong, allegedly a Taoist cleric, and the Yoon administration. Kim was subpoenaed for questioning by the police concerning his reporting that Cheon Gong was during the period proximate to Yoon's assumption of the presidential office, observed in the area of the official residences of the Army Chief of Staff and the Foreign Minister in Hannandong. At the time, the Presidential Office was in a temporary location, because Yoon refused to occupy the traditional presidential office and residence on the Blue House grounds. Cheon Gong's presence at the sites of the official government residences supports the contention, that the arbitrary decision of the current president not to move into the Blue House, and to move into the Ministry of Defense building, was prompted by Cheon's advice, and his undue influence over the president and his wife. As reported further below his observed presence near the MOD/JCS buildings on Yongsan also supports the contention that Cheon was involved in the president's decision to move into the MND building and find an official residence in Hannamdong. Ultimately, the office residence of the Foreign Minister was chosen.
Yoon's spiritual advisor considers Yongsan a place invested with metaphysical properties which will revitalize Korea and empower its future. Anonymous sources allegedly in the Yoon camp report that Yoon and his wife had met with "teacher" Cheon Gong whose religious organization "Right Way" (정법) is based in Seoul near the old Yongsan military garrison grounds. Cheon Gong is a you tuber with his own channel. Contrary to his followers and Yoon's protestations, the mystic leader of the syncretic religious group does believe in feng shui ( 풍수 ) and make predictions of the future. Besides his belief in the mystical qualities of Yongsan real estate, Cheon foresees that Korea will be unified before 2025. Since, as Yoon's relationship with the "spiritual leader" became controversial, the alleged monthly meetings are reported to have ceased. Anonymous sources allegedly within Yoon's camp report that Yoon and wife have been seen watching Cheon's youtube videos while traveling in his limo. Yoon's wife Kim Geon-hee has been recorded claiming that she also has spiritual powers and doesn't need spiritual advice.
In November 2022, Korea Times reported this in an article about the immediate aftermath of the Itaewon disaster:
In September, Lee (Cheon Gong) was spotted with Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee during their visit to the Korean community in New York. During a televised debate in October last year (2021), Yoon, who was running to become the People Power Party's presidential candidate at the time, admitted that he had "met with Lee with my wife a few times." In an interview with local news media YTN that month, Lee said that he is not Yoon's mentor but had nevertheless "advised him to resign as the prosecutor general" to join the presidential race.*
Kim Jong-tae said he was questioned by police for three hours. He reported that curiously the complaint from the presidential office concerning his alleged false reporting conerning Cheon's visit to government official residences in Hannamdong did not include his additional statement that Cheon was also observed going in and out of the Offices of the Chief of Staff of ROK Army during the same time period. He was not questioned about his report that Cheon Gong, an unauthorized private person was seen entering and leaving the highly security area about the MND and JCS buildings at that time. Kim refused to reveal his source other than to say that the source was a trustworthy one and a highly placed official within the Ministry of Defense. Kim appears confident that this omission from the presidential office complaint reflects their concern that that their complaint can be proven groundless.
*Gaffes over Itaewon tragedy anger public, Korea Times, 11.3.22, by Lee Hae-rin;
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/01/113_339153.html
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