South Korea's first lady avoids limelight ahead of high-stakes election

FILE PHOTO: South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee walk during a ceremony in Amsterdam, Netherlands December 12, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/ File photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - Beset by controversies about share price manipulation and a costly gifted handbag, South Korea's first lady has not been seen in public since Dec. 15, but few in Seoul were surprised as a high-stakes parliamentary election approaches this month.

President Yoon Suk Yeol is not running in the April 10 election in which his People Power Party faces an uphill battle to win back control of parliament, and is also barred from campaigning, as he already holds public office.