Hong Jun-pyo on 'Luxury Bag' Controversy: "Let's Stop It Now"

"Gossip Fire, Early Response Failure Only Fuels Controversy"

Regarding the controversy over First Lady Kim Geon-hee's receipt of luxury bags, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo sharply criticized on the 8th, saying, "I wish this would stop now."

In a post on Facebook that day, Mayor Hong said, "What was merely gossip was not properly addressed early on, and the controversy only grew until it became a national issue." He continued, "No one actively stepped forward to explain, instead hesitating and delaying, which caused it to escalate," and pointed out, "There was even a First Lady who traveled alone on the presidential plane to visit the Taj Mahal."

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo
Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

This appears to refer to the so-called 'taxpayer-funded tourism controversy' that arose when First Lady Kim Jung-sook visited India during the Moon Jae-in administration in 2018. Mayor Hong added, "That was quietly brushed aside at the time, but now a single bag given by a longtime acquaintance is shaking the nation."

Earlier, President Yoon Suk-yeol directly addressed the controversy over First Lady Kim's receipt of luxury bags during a 100-minute recorded broadcast of 'KBS Special Interview - Visiting the Presidential Office' aired on KBS the previous day.

He explained the circumstances under which the First Lady received the bags, saying, "If the problem was that it was difficult to cut ties coldly, then yes, that is a problem, and I think it was somewhat regrettable," adding, "It is truly difficult for the president or the first lady to treat anyone so coldly."

He also emphasized, "The fact that this issue was brought up a year later, right before the election, should be seen as a political ploy," but stressed, "What is more important than the political ploy is to clearly draw the line and behave properly so that such incidents do not happen again in the future."