Controversy Over Fake 'Gold-Plated Park Geun-hye Watch' Worn by Lee Man-hee

Former Cheongwadae Deputy Secretary Office Administrator "Only Produced Silver Watches"
Similar Watches Sold for 490,000 Won in Secondhand Trading Community

Lee Man-hee, the president of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji), is holding a press conference on the COVID-19 situation on the 2nd at the Shincheonji Palace of Peace in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. The watch on President Lee's wrist, engraved with the name of former President Park Geun-hye, attracts attention. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Testimonies continue to emerge claiming that the watch worn by Lee Man-hee, the chairman of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, engraved with former President Park Geun-hye's name, is fake.

On the 3rd, Lee Geon-yong, who was an administrative officer in the Secretariat of Former President Park Geun-hye and is now the organizational team leader of the United Future Party's organization bureau, stated, "At the beginning of the president's inauguration, there was a report to the Secretariat regarding the production of the president's watch, and former President Park, who received the report at the time, instructed that only one 'silver watch' be produced."

He added, "Although various souvenirs such as desk clocks and wall clocks were produced later, a 'gold-plated watch' was never made."

He also said, "I understand that forging the Blue House phoenix mark and the president's signature for use is subject to legal action," and commented, "With the whole country in turmoil due to COVID-19, seeing such trivial issues becoming controversies really shows it is Shincheonji."

According to Yonhap News and others, another official who worked in the Secretariat confirmed, "After checking with the public officials in charge of watch production at the Public Procurement Service at the time, it was confirmed that only one design product made entirely of silver, including the watch and the watch strap, was produced," and said, "The watch worn by Chairman Lee Man-hee is 100% counterfeit."

Meanwhile, on the 19th of last month, a watch similar to Chairman Lee's was traded for 490,000 KRW under the name 'Park Geun-hye Watch (Gold)' on Junggonara, a secondhand goods trading community. The seller who posted the listing explained with photos of the case stamped with the Blue House mark and the gold-plated watch, "It is gold-plated. A new product made for members of the National Assembly."