Kim Geon-hee's Side: "Those in the Hallway Were Not Petitioners but Presidential Office Staff"

Pastor Choi Jaeyoung States Position on 'Demand for Evidence Presentation'
Eco Bag and Report Attribute File Submitted to Prosecution Released
Additional Telegram Chat Captures of Two Administrative Officers Disclosed

The office of First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, rebutted on the 11th that all the complainants who claimed to have witnessed Pastor Choi Jae-young in the corridor when he visited Kim's office, Covana Contents, on September 13, 2022, are all presidential office administrators, and that the contents inside the eco bag or shopping bag, which Pastor Choi claimed were gifts prepared for the First Lady by the complainants, were actually reports.

Pastor Choi appeared on the Seoul Voice YouTube broadcast the previous day and said, "If the people who were waiting with the gift bags were not ordinary complainants or petitioners but Section Chief Jo OO and security personnel, then there must have been communication that they were going to report to the First Lady or her close secretary," and demanded, "Please present any agreed KakaoTalk or text messages from the time Section Chief Jo left the presidential office and came to Seocho-dong." On the same day, Kim's side revealed for the first time a screenshot of the Telegram conversation where related messages were exchanged.

On the day, Kim's attorney, Choi Ji-woo, stated in a press release distributed to the media, "Pastor Choi appeared on the YouTube channel 'Seoul Voice' yesterday and said that if the person waiting in the corridor outside Covana Contents was a presidential office administrator, he should present related messages through the media."

Attorney Choi added, "Pastor Choi also maliciously incited by saying, 'There was a gift inside the yellow shopping bag.' Therefore, the attorney decided to additionally disclose the materials submitted to the prosecution and the Telegram messages related to the report."

Telegram chat capture released by Mrs. Kim Geon-hee's side on the 11th. Photo by lawyer Choi Ji-woo

Attorney Choi clarified, "The people waiting at that time were security office staff and Section Chief Jo (the person sitting side by side) and Section Chief Jang (the person sitting behind the pillar)," and explained, "The Shinra Duty Free eco bag carried by Section Chief Jo contained reports, and the yellow paper bag next to Section Chief Jang contained materials related to the report."

He said, "The Shinra Duty Free eco bag and the report cover and attribute files carried by Section Chief Jo have already been submitted to the prosecution, and today we will additionally disclose the Telegram messages related to the report."

Attorney Choi further stated, "Pastor Choi is deceiving the public by mixing many lies with some truths," and urged, "We call for an end to malicious false incitement."

In the press release, Attorney Choi also presented specific evidence and explanations regarding the conversation between Section Chief Jo and Section Chief Yoo, who were waiting in the corridor at the time, the eco bag carried by Section Chief Jo, and the report inside the eco bag.

First, regarding the situation when the report was made, Attorney Choi said, "This is a conversation between Section Chief Jo and Section Chief Yoo of the Presidential Secretariat on September 10, 2022," and explained, "A report on the First Lady was scheduled for Monday, September 12, 2022, but due to special circumstances, the report was postponed by one day." According to the Telegram conversation between the two people disclosed by Kim's side that day, the 'special circumstances' appear to refer to the First Lady's visit to the United Kingdom.

Attorney Choi stated, "Accordingly, Section Chief Jo reported to the First Lady on September 13, 2022," and claimed, "It is clearly proven that the person waiting in the corridor outside Covana Contents on September 13, 2022, was Section Chief Jo."

Photo of the Silla Duty Free Shop eco bag (left) reportedly submitted to the prosecution by Mrs. Kim's side, and the eco bag captured in a video taken by Pastor Choi Jaeyoung during his visit to Covana Contents on September 13, 2022. Photo by Lawyer Choi Jiwoo

Regarding the eco bag, Attorney Choi said, "Pastor Choi and Seoul Voice claim that the people waiting in the corridor outside Covana Contents were waiting to give gifts to the First Lady," but clarified, "The person holding the Shinra Duty Free eco bag was Section Chief Jo of the Presidential Secretariat, and to prove this, the eco bag held at the time was voluntarily submitted to the prosecution."

He added, "Comparing the Seoul Voice broadcast video and photos clearly proves it is the same eco bag," and explained, "The Shinra Duty Free eco bag was provided to customers who purchased over $100 at the opening of the Busan Shinra Duty Free store a long time ago."

Finally, regarding the report inside the eco bag at the time, Attorney Choi stated, "The report clearly states the date as September 13, 2022, and the creation date in the attribute file is also clearly proven to be September 13, 2022."

Hangul attribute file of the report released by Mrs. Kim's side on the 11th. Photo by Jiwoo Choi, Attorney

Attorney Choi claimed, "Considering all this evidence, it is clearly proven that the people in the corridor outside Covana Contents on September 13, 2022, were presidential office administrators and security staff waiting to report to the First Lady."

The previous day, Pastor Choi appeared on the Seoul Voice YouTube broadcast and said, "The people who were waiting with the gift bags turned out not to be ordinary complainants or petitioners but Section Chief Jo OO and security guards. There was a man and a woman. That is what they are now arguing," and added, "If it is really Section Chief Jo OO, then a bigger problem arises."

He said, "The president's spouse is a civilian, not an elected official, so why are they receiving reports from presidential office staff like that? Just present one piece of evidence," and continued, "What is it? When that section chief in Yongsan, at the presidential office, came to Seocho-dong to report to the woman, carrying a bundle of documents in that Shinra Duty Free bag, it wasn't like he barged in without any notice."

He added, "There must have been communication with the First Lady or her close secretary. Through KakaoTalk or text, 'I'm going to report.' Then please present the KakaoTalk or text messages agreeing on the time when Section Chief Jo left the presidential office and came to Seocho-dong."