Choi "President's power focused on himself... Witnessed intervention in vested interests and personnel requests"
The prosecution investigating allegations of luxury bag acceptance by First Lady Kim Keon-hee has summoned and is questioning Pastor Choi Jae-young, who handed the luxury bag to her.
Pastor Choi Jae-young, who gave luxury bags to First Lady Kim Geon-hee, was summoned to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 13th as a suspect and responded to reporters' questions upon arrival. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@
The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) summoned Pastor Choi on the 13th as a suspect on charges including violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, trespassing, and obstruction of official duties by deception.
At around 9:18 a.m. that day, Pastor Choi appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and stated, "The essence of this case is not whether (First Lady Kim) accepted a Dior bag and Chanel cosmetics, but that it began because it was witnessed that presidential power was concentrated, dualized, and privatized for personal gain, manipulating state affairs, intervening in vested interests, and making personnel requests."
He continued, "Not only the luxury bag I received but also other visitors standing in the hallway holding gifts to meet (First Lady Kim), and even after moving to the Hannam-dong residence, receiving a high-end bonsai pine tree worth about 10 million won?please investigate these as well," adding, "Whether there is a connection to official duties is not for me to judge; the prosecution will decide. If nothing was received, nothing would have happened."
The prosecution plans to confirm with Pastor Choi the circumstances and purpose of delivering the luxury bag to the First Lady, as well as whether there was any solicitation involved.
Pastor Choi visited First Lady Kim on September 13, 2022, after President Yoon's inauguration, at the Kobana Contents office located in the basement of Acrovista in Seocho-dong, Seoul, and gifted a Christian Dior pouch worth about 3 million won.
At that time, the presidential residence in Hannam-dong was not yet prepared, so President Yoon commuted between his home in Acrovista and the Yongsan Presidential Office. Additionally, Pastor Choi used a watch equipped with a hidden camera provided by Seoul's Voice to film the moment he presented the bag and gave the footage to Seoul's Voice, which reported it in November last year.
Following the report, Baek Eun-jong, CEO of Seoul's Voice, filed a complaint with the prosecution in December last year against President Yoon and his wife for violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and bribery charges.
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