The beautiful first lady of South Korea, “allegedly bribed by a man with a luxury bag,” was seen at the scene of her receipt.
I asked him, “Did he really receive a luxury bag? If he did receive it, did he return it or does he still have it? I want a clear answer.”
On November 28, Park Joo-min, a member of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPJ), harshly criticized the scandal involving the beautiful First Lady Kim Keon-hee (51) at the National Assembly.
Kim’s scandal is that she accepted a bag from the luxury brand Dior from a man she met with. The bag was said to be a luxury item costing 3 million won (about 340,000 yen). If it was a bribe for value, it would be a violation of the Kim Yong-ran Act in South Korea (the Unfair Competition Prevention Act).
The man who is alleged to have given Kim the luxury bag is Pastor Choe Jae-yong, who travels between North and South Korea and is involved in the North-South unification movement.” On September 13, 2010, he visited and met with Kim’s arts event planning company, Kobana Contents, in central Seoul. It is said that he presented him with brand-name goods.” (Reporter for a Korean newspaper)
Please don’t do this!
Kim’s allegations of bribery are not entirely baseless: On November 27, the YouTube channel “Seoul Voice” released a video of Kim allegedly receiving a luxury bag from Pastor Choi. The video recorded the following graphic exchange between the two men.
Mr. Kim: “Why are you buying me such an expensive thing?
Pastor Choi, I don’t think I can give you a gift next time.
Mr. Kim 〈Don’t do this ……. Please don’t do this!
Pastor Choi, [This is just how I feel.
In the video, Kim appears to be confused but does not refuse to accept the luxury bag.
The video seems to have been shot with the built-in camera of a wristwatch worn by Pastor Choi. The video was apparently shot by a reporter for the “Seoul Voice,” who gave the bag to Pastor Choi in advance, and who has been involved in a lawsuit with the president and his wife after publishing seven hours of Kim’s private phone calls. When the video in question was released, he left the Voice of Seoul shortly afterward.
Although the case was initiated by a reporter, it is believed that Pastor Choi had his own agenda. Who is Pastor Choi?
Kim and Pastor Choi are from the same town of Yangpyeong in northern Korea and have a close family relationship. They are also in personal contact with each other. Pastor Choe is said to be dissatisfied with the current administration, which continues to take a tough stance toward North Korea. If the bribe to Kim is true, he may have intended to seek an easing of policy toward the North.
The Korean Broadcasting Workers Union has condemned the “Seoul Voice’s” reporting methods, saying that they “exceed the permissible range for public disclosure of exchanges between public figures. The union also stated, “We feel that the program’s ‘bait-and-switch’ coverage is maliciously designed to discredit the president and the president’s wife. It may have been intended to tarnish the Kims’ image.
As of December 8, the South Korean president’s office has not given a clear response to the uproar. The opposition parties intend to pursue the matter further.
PHOTO.: Reuters/Afro