Opposition Strengthens Criticism Over Kim Geon-hee's Jewelry Rentals... "Must Disclose Details"

Presidential Office "Borrowed Locally"
Later "2 out of 3 items Lent to Acquaintances... 1 Item Purchased from Small Business Owner"

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are applauding at the Korean community dinner meeting held at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz Hotel in Madrid, Spain, on the 29th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] The opposition party's pressure is mounting regarding the criticism that the jewelry worn by First Lady Kim Keon-hee during overseas trips was omitted from the asset declaration. Kim Eui-gyeom, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, raised his voice, saying, "They must specifically disclose what the loaned jewelry was, where it was borrowed from, and for how much, along with proof documents."

On the afternoon of the 30th, Representative Kim posted on his Facebook, "Even if the necklace worn locally was borrowed, it was seen at every official event such as the inauguration and early voting. Does that mean the 16 million won Cartier bracelet, called the 'Kim Keon-hee tattoo item,' was also borrowed?" he pointed out.

Earlier, on the 26th, Representative Kim also stated on Facebook, "First Lady Kim owns at least three reportable pieces of jewelry, including a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace (estimated over 60 million won), a Cartier bracelet (estimated over 15 million won), and a Tiffany brooch (estimated over 26 million won)," adding, "If so, President Yoon omitted these from his first asset registration after inauguration."

On the 30th, Jeon Yong-gi, another Democratic Party member, questioned Yoon Jae-soon, the Chief Secretary of the Presidential Office, about the asset registration of the Presidential Office during the National Assembly's Steering Committee plenary session.

Representative Jeon said, "I saw articles stating that the necklace and bracelet worn by the First Lady during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) trip were expensive," and asked, "Were these jewelry items not declared in the asset report? Have you checked?" Secretary Yoon replied, "I have seen the reports, but it has not been verified whether the Chief Secretary's office declared them."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Eui-gyeom raised his voice regarding First Lady Kim Keon-hee's jewelry, stating, "It is necessary to specifically disclose what borrowed jewelry it is, where it was rented from, and for how much, along with supporting evidence."
Photo by Kim, lawmaker (captured from Kim's Facebook).

After the Steering Committee plenary session ended, the Chief Secretary's Office of the Presidential Office reportedly claimed to Representative Jeon's side that "Since they were borrowed locally, they were not omitted from the asset declaration." The implication was that the items were rented locally in Madrid during the trip.

Following reports citing Representative Jeon's side, the Presidential Office actively responded. The Presidential Office spokesperson's office stated in a media release, "The Chief Secretary never explained to the Democratic Party member that the items were 'borrowed locally,'" adding, "It is inappropriate to spread untrue statements to the media and then treat the correction request as if it were a major lie. We express our regret," showing displeasure.

The Chief Secretary's Office reportedly told Representative Jeon's side, "Of the three jewelry pieces, two were borrowed from acquaintances," and "One was purchased from a small business owner, and the amount does not require reporting." Representative Jeon said, "I saw articles stating that the necklace and bracelet worn by the First Lady during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) trip were expensive," and asked, "Were these jewelry items not declared in the asset report? Have you checked?" Secretary Yoon replied, "I have seen the reports, but it has not been verified whether the Chief Secretary's office declared them."

In response, Representative Kim criticized, "The Presidential Office's inconsistent explanations are not a one-time occurrence," and said, "Stop deceiving the public with lies now."