A $200 bag and a visit to a mass market… Suspicion of money behind Korea’s beautiful First Lady’s “fierce appeal to the common man

Kim Keon-hee, 51, the beautiful First Lady of South Korea, has been making a strong appeal to the common man.

On October 31, she participated in the “2023 Red Cross Bazaar” at a large event facility in Seoul, purchasing a 5,000 won (about $580) leather jacket and a 2,000 won (about $230) handbag. He donated eco-friendly bags for the merchandise for the participants.

On November 7, he visited a popular food market in Suncheon in the southern part of the country. Some of the fish I’ve never seen before. He asked the shopkeepers and staff, “Do you have any difficulties in doing business?” He bought dried fish, seasonal produce, and other items.

What’s in the eco-bag?

Why does Ms. Kim buy low-priced goods and go to a mass market?

Perhaps she is still reeling from the turmoil caused by her trip to Europe with her husband, President Yun Suk-yeol, in July of this year. Kim was carrying an eco-bag when she left the country, and according to the Chosun Ilbo and other media, an opposition lawmaker, Mr. A, snapped at her. He said the eco-bag contained luxury brand goods.

Mr. A said, <Hidden inside the eco-bag is a Chanel bag. It is a luxury brand and costs 5,150,000 won (about 590,000 yen),” he wrote on social networking sites. The ruling party immediately denied Mr. A’s claim. The post was deleted, but it is clear that Kim’s image has been tarnished.

This is not the only uproar over Mr. Kim.

In July, Kim’s mother was convicted of forging private documents and sentenced to one year in prison. The mother allegedly falsified documents when purchasing land in the northwestern city of Seongnam. According to the indictment, she falsified balance certificates on four occasions between April and October ’13 to make it appear that 34.9 billion won (approximately 4 billion yen) was deposited in the bank. It is suspected that he used the false certificates to acquire vast tracts of land.

The outing, the luxury bag racket, and his mother’s alleged fraudulent land purchases. …… With disapproval ratings for the Yun administration in the 60% range while approval ratings are in the 30% range, her popularity is in the doldrums. In order for her husband to regain momentum, Ms. Kim may be in need to dispel her “image of being full of money” and appeal to the common man.