단상斷想

History sometimes shows strange repetitions. Is it a coincidence that the lives of two women seem strangely overlapping across 1,500 years? One was the Empress of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century, and the other is Kim Keon-hee of the 21st century Republic of Korea. Theodora and Kim Keon-hee. The lives of these two women vividly show how power overcomes origin and the past, or how it is defined by them.

Theodora was born as the daughter of an innkeeper near the Hippodrome. In Constantinople at the time, inns were not just lodging facilities, but places where all kinds of pleasure and transactions took place. As a child, Theodora went on stage with her sisters and revealed her body in front of crowds to make a living. According to Procopius's <Secret History>, she adorned the nights of Constantinople as an 'actress and prostitute'. But Theodora did not stop at being a simple entertainer. She gradually entered high society through her relationships with powerful people, and finally caught the eye of Crown Prince Justinian. At the time, Roman law prohibited royalty from marrying actors, but Emperor Justin I amended the law for his nephew. When Justinian ascended the throne in 527, Theodora naturally became Empress.

It is noteworthy that Theodora did not deny her past. Rather, she took the lead in promoting women's rights and protecting the socially vulnerable. Improving the treatment of prostitutes, expanding women's property rights, and revising divorce laws were all reforms led by her. She transformed the pain she experienced into change for the entire society. When the Nika Revolt broke out in 532, Emperor Justinian tried to flee. The words Theodora spoke at this time remain in history. 'The emperor's robe is the finest shroud. I would rather die here.' In the end, the revolt was suppressed, and 30,000 citizens were massacred at the Hippodrome.

Of course, it is presumed that the record includes rhetoric added over time, but it was the moment when Theodora's will changed the fate of the empire. Theodora was Emperor Justinian's most important advisor until she died of cancer in 548. There was nothing of importance in the empire that did not involve her, including the territorial expansion war, the construction of the Hagia Sophia, and the compilation of the Justinian Code. Although her origins were humble, she was able to understand the lives of the people, which made the empire even stronger. Why is it that a heartwarming story that was possible 1,500 years ago has turned into a situation where the prestige of the country has entered the evil underworld, even though the judiciary was being manipulated like dough in Korea today?

In South Korea, Kim Keon-hee took her place at the center of power in a completely different way than Theodora. She thoroughly concealed her past and appeared before the public packaged with glamorous specifications. The titles of CEO of Covana Contents, exhibition planner, and artist seemed plausible, but the reality was full of lies. Doubts about Kim Keon-hee's education and career were endless. Plagiarism allegations, irregularities in the degree acquisition process, and transparency in business operations were all questionable. In particular, the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case suggested that she was not just a victim but a possible active conspirator. But the prosecution did not indict her. The dirty South Korean judiciary acquitted her, dressing her as an innocent person, but what is even more serious is her influence on state affairs.

Kim Keon-hee's shadow loomed large in personnel interventions, participation in policy decision-making processes, and diplomatic activities. Through attending Myeongdong Cathedral mass, accompanying overseas trips, and attending various events, she took on the role of 'de facto queen'. The core of the Kim Keon-hee phenomenon is the lack of transparency. Kim Keon-hee moves secretly. Media coverage is limited, and there are no official explanations. Only speculation and suspicion abound. The fact that her actual role and influence are based on shamanism, and the rumor that she skinned live animals for rituals, means that extreme crimes, to which this country has become insensitive to the evil deeds of collapsed laws, are being committed from above.

Kim Keon-hee was completely engrossed in image management. She tried to build an image of a 'dignified first lady' through various cultural events and charitable activities. But this is just a wrapper that hides fundamental problems. Kim Keon-hee's image politics are very sophisticated. She shows a carefully prepared appearance every time she is exposed to the media. Every single detail of her attire, facial expressions, and actions is calculated. This seems to be the result of professional image consulting. However, this image production rather bought public antipathy. Artificial appearances that do not feel genuine feel unnatural, and this method was already tiring because they were tired of the low-quality Tak Hyun-min style that created Moon Jae-in's image.

Even in the Byzantine Empire during the time of Theodora, law and institutions succumbed to the power of the imperial family. However, it was public and explicit. When the emperor changed the law, all subjects could know, and the backlash against it could be made public. On the other hand, in the Republic of Korea in 2025, the rule of law is being undermined in a more subtle way. The prosecution conducted a poor investigation into Kim Keon-hee and eventually decided not to indict her. Despite her clear role in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, the prosecution abandoned the indictment on the grounds that 'it is difficult to prove intent.' But time passed, and an article came out that Lee Chang-soo, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office who investigated the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation, was escaping. They are a criminal group, but they have been holding out for a long time. They should not be allowed to resign. He deserves to be judged by the law and wear a prison uniform.

This is not a simple mistake of judgment by the prosecution. It is an example of how different standards are applied to the families of those in power. Ordinary citizens are indicted and tried even for much lighter charges. Even with strong suspicions of having received a trial for eight hundred won and killing a friend, they evade the law with the help of police relatives. The constitutional spirit of equality before the law is only written on paper and is as good as nothing. The attitude of the judiciary is the same. In cases involving Kim Keon-hee, the court consistently made lenient judgments. Even when the evidence was clear, they gave acquittals with phrases like, "There was no malice" and "The damage was not significant." Because of these absurd rulings, even though rumors circulated that Kim Keon-hee had "had sexual relations with all the men she needed," including prosecutors and ministers, no one was investigated. As a result, this means that the judiciary has succumbed to political pressure, and it even makes it possible to predict that the dirty rumor is not unfounded. The politicization of the prosecution is a serious problem. The prosecution has become a tool for removing political enemies while acting as the private army of those in power. It is an important implication that this undermining of the foundations of the rule of law started with the personal deviations of judicial personnel.

The role of the press is also a problem. Critical reports about Kim Keon-hee were extremely limited. Due to pressure from the government and ruling party, and the watchful eyes of advertisers, media companies engaged in self-censorship and abandoned the fundamental mission of the press, which is to pursue the truth. The media highlighted only the positive aspects of Kim Keon-hee, and showed a reporting behavior of reducing or omitting problematic parts. This not only undermines the objectivity and fairness of the press, but also reveals the deep-rooted original sin of JoongAng Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, and Dong-A Ilbo, which were pro-Japanese collaborators from birth. This is why the press freedom index has a close correlation with the corruption perception index.

In 2025, various allegations surrounding Kim Keon-hee in South Korea are not properly explained, in that they are not unrelated to sexual deviations that men considered their natural rights, which is increasing public distrust. However, rather than accepting this public sentiment head-on, the authorities are choosing to avoid or suppress it. Press suppression, pressure on civic groups, and surveillance of critical intellectuals are all examples of the exercise of power to hide bad habits hidden behind the arrogance of power. It is a very worrying phenomenon that these things are happening openly in a democratic society. In a democratic society, power must come from the people. However, Kim Keon-hee's power does not have any democratic legitimacy. She has never been elected and is not in a position to be accountable to the people. However, she has exerted enormous influence on state affairs, which means a fundamental crisis of democracy. If unelected power has more influence than elected power, democracy will inevitably collapse. The will of the people is not reflected in policies, and the will of the few dominates the majority. The best norms and systems of human society are collapsing due to the most instinctive sexual impulses of human beings.

Theodora built her own power, but she could not pass it on to future generations. After her death in 548, Emperor Justinian weakened rapidly, and the empire began to decline. Power dependent on individual charisma showed the limitation that it collapses when the individual disappears. Kim Keon-hee's case is different. She has secretly built a power network within the system. She is spreading her influence to various fields of society, including the prosecution, the judiciary, the press, and the business world. This is a more dangerous form of power concentration. Of particular concern is that this power is becoming institutionalized. As the influence of an individual changes the system itself, it is creating a structure that can be sustained in the future. No human being will give up the taste once experienced, the seat once sat. The law exerts its power when it is originally a monitoring function, but an evil power system that is recklessly born to cover up the crimes of law enforcers seriously undermines the separation of powers, checks and balances, which are the basic principles of democracy.

Theodora and Kim Keon-hee. The lives of these two prostitutes offer important insights into the nature of power. Power must be checked, transparent, and accountable, regardless of the origin or gender of the person wielding it. Both left a significant mark on history, but their meanings are completely different. Theodora created the glory of the empire, but at the same time sowed the seeds of decline. It is too early for Kim Keon-hee to be judged by history, but judging from her actions so far, if she leaves a positive legacy, it will be the adjustment of the role of prostitutes. For Korean democracy to develop healthily, the shadow power symbolized by Kim Keon-hee must come out into the open. It must be transparently verified what role she actually plays, what the extent of her influence is, and whether it is consistent with democratic principles.

Power is not eternal. Theodora and Justinian have both disappeared into history. But the institutions and practices they created, and their consequences, have long influenced posterity. The same is true of the power structure and political culture created by Kim Gun-hee and the Yoon Suk-yeol regime. What legacy it will leave on Korean society depends on our choices now. Just as the Hagia Sophia still stands tall in Istanbul, the legacy of those in power lasts a long time. The question is whether it will be a proud legacy for posterity or a shameful past. Theodora's mosaic is beautiful but sad. Kim Gun-hee's portrait will also be exhibited in a museum of history someday. What people will think when they see it, now we must prepare several of Kim Gun-hee's plastic surgery photos as ancestors of descendants in the distant future. I have never prostituted myself, but we who lived in the same era will all be shameful and dirty ancestors because we did not recognize the prostitute.