National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair and Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Jung Chung-rae led a parliamentary hearing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Friday. The absence of first lady Kim Keon Hee and her mother at the hearing, which was organized to review an online petition calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, led to protests by opposition parties. The impeachment motion against President Yoon included allegations of the first lady's involvement in a stock price manipulation case and her acceptance of a luxury Dior bag in violation of antigraft law. Out of the 24 witnesses summoned to testify at the hearing, 18, including Kim and her mother, failed to appear or provide official statements for their absence. The ruling party defended Kim's absence, while the opposition demanded her and her mother's attendance at the parliamentary hearing. The People Power Party accused the Democratic Party and the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee of staging a political show and attempting to publicly shame the first lady by organizing the hearing. Meanwhile, Democratic and other opposition party lawmakers protested in front of the presidential residence, urging the first lady and her mother to attend the hearing. The Democratic Party announced plans to summon the first lady and her mother for a separate hearing in the future. The hearing was prompted by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's interrogation of the first lady over her alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme and her acceptance of a luxury Dior bag. The move by the prosecutors to question the first lady outside their office sparked speculations of preferential treatment and led to an apology from the Prosecutor General.