The prosecution investigating the 'luxury bag receipt suspicion' involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, is reportedly set to directly verify the original footage in question.
According to the legal community on the 7th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) requested Pastor Choi Jae-young, who filmed the footage, to submit the original video.
The same request was made to the internet media outlet Seoul's Voice, which received the footage from Pastor Choi and released it through their YouTube channel.
Pastor Choi, a Korean-American, delivered a luxury bag worth approximately 3 million won to First Lady Kim on September 13, 2022, after President Yoon's inauguration, while secretly filming with a 'wristwatch hidden camera.'
It is known that both the luxury bag and the hidden camera were prepared by Seoul's Voice.
Seoul's Voice claims that there is a recognized connection between President Yoon's duties and Pastor Choi's actions. Accordingly, Baek Eun-jong, the representative of Seoul's Voice, filed a complaint with the prosecution in December of the same year, accusing President Yoon and his wife of violating the Anti-Graft Act.
Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok answering questions on his way to work(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Ji-eun = Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok, who instructed to form a dedicated investigation team to promptly investigate the allegations of luxury bag acceptance involving First Lady Kim Geon-hee, is answering reporters' questions as he arrives at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the morning of May 7, 2024.
jieunlee@yna.co.kr
(End)
＜Copyright(c) Yonhap News Agency, unauthorized reproduction and redistribution, AI training and use prohibited＞
Since the released footage contains edited and excerpted statements by First Lady Kim, the prosecution appears to be reviewing whether a connection to official duties can be revealed based on the full context and entire conversation in the original video.
The prosecution initially planned to investigate Representative Baek as a complainant on the 9th, but after Baek requested a postponement, the investigation was rescheduled to 2 p.m. on the 20th.
Representative Baek stated that First Lady Kim received liquor, books, and luxury cosmetics from Pastor Choi, and there is evidence suggesting she was asked for personnel favors related to the Financial Services Commission; he intends to file additional complaints with the prosecution regarding this matter.
Prior to this, the prosecution will summon Kim Soon-hwan, Secretary-General of the Committee for the Protection of the Common People, who filed a complaint against Pastor Choi on the 9th for trespassing and obstruction of official duties by deception, for investigation.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
