South Korea’s First Lady Faces Bribery Suspicion Over $340,000 Dior Bag

An unusual investigation took place in South Korea.

 

For the first time in South Korean history, a sitting First Lady was interrogated by prosecutors. On July 20, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office questioned Kim Keon-hee (51), the wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol. The interrogation lasted for 12 hours.

“Kim is suspected of receiving a luxury bag as a bribe and being involved in stock price manipulation. The luxury bag was given to her by a pastor who continues to promote activities for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. A video of the intense exchange between Kim and the pastor was published on YouTube.” (said a reporter from a South Korean newspaper)

FRIDAY Digital reported in an article released on December 9 of last year, providing detailed coverage of Kim’s ‘luxury bag bribery allegations’ and the content of the video in question. The following is a reprint of that article, reflecting on the background of the First Lady’s interrogation (some content has been revised).

A luxury item worth 340,000 yen 

“Did she really receive a luxury bag? If she did, did she return it or is she still keeping it? I want a clear answer.”

On November 28 last year, Park Joo-min, a member of South Korea’s opposition party “Democratic Party of Korea,” harshly pursued the scandal involving the beautiful First Lady Kim.

The scandal involves Kim allegedly receiving a luxury Dior bag from a man she met. The bag is said to be worth 3 million won (approximately 340,000 yen). If considered a bribe with reciprocal value, it would be a violation of South Korea’s Kim Young-ran Act (Anti-Corruption and Bribery Prevention Act).

“The person accused of giving the luxury bag to Kim is Pastor Choi Jae-yong, who shuttles between North and South Korea for reunification activities. On September 13, 2022, he visited Kim’s arts event planning company ‘Kobana Contents’ in central Seoul and reportedly presented the branded item.” (said a South Korean newspaper reporter)

 

The allegations against Kim regarding bribery are not entirely baseless. On November 27 last year, the YouTube channel “Voice of Seoul” released a video showing Kim allegedly receiving a luxury bag from Pastor Choi. The footage captured the following vivid exchange between the two:

Kim: “Why are you bringing such an expensive item?”

Pastor Choi: “I don’t think I’ll be able to give you a gift next time.”

Kim: “P-please don’t do this. Really, stop.”

Pastor Choi: “It’s my feeling.”

The reporter who initiated the investigation resigned immediately afterward

In the video, it appears that while Kim seemed confused, she did not refuse to accept the luxury bag.

 

“It seems that the video was recorded by a hidden camera in Pastor Choi’s wristwatch. The reporter who orchestrated the investigation, Reporter A from ‘Voice of Seoul,’ is said to have given the bag to Pastor Choi in advance. After the video was released, Reporter A resigned from ‘Voice of Seoul’ immediately.” (said the source)

 

Even though it was a setup by the reporter, Pastor Choi likely had his own motives. 

 

“Kim and Pastor Choi are both from Yangpyeong in northern South Korea and have a family connection. They also reportedly keep in touch personally. Pastor Choi is said to be dissatisfied with the current administration’s tough stance on North Korea. If the bribery to Kim is true, he might have intended to influence a relaxation of North Korea policy.

 

The South Korean Broadcasting Labor Union criticized ‘Voice of Seoul’s’ investigative methods, stating that they exceeded acceptable limits for disclosing public figures’ interactions. They also expressed concerns that the aim was to tarnish the presidential couple’s reputation through ‘sting operations.’ It might have been intentional to damage Kim’s image.” said a reporter stationed in Seoul for a national newspaper)

 

At the time, the South Korean Presidential Office did not provide a clear response to the incident. The focus is now on how the prosecution, which questioned Kim, will handle the situation.