Prior Consultation on Voluntary Submission with Mrs. Kim's Side
The prosecution investigating allegations of luxury handbag receipt involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, has initiated procedures to secure the handbag.
According to legal circles on the 16th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) is taking necessary steps, including sending official letters, to secure the luxury handbag held by the Presidential Office. It is reported that the prosecution had previously consulted with Kim’s side about obtaining the handbag on a voluntary submission basis.
The prosecution is expected to first confirm the Presidential Office’s position on the handbag’s storage status and disposal plans through official correspondence before proceeding with subsequent steps.
On the 1st, Presidential Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok stated at the National Assembly, "I understand that the Dior bag received by the First Lady is being stored inside the Presidential Office building in its original packaging."
At that time, Chief of Staff Jeong said, "Gifts received by the President or the President’s spouse are primarily subject to the Presidential Records Management Act rather than the Public Officials Ethics Act, and the classification process as presidential records has not yet reached its deadline."
Once the prosecution secures the luxury handbag, it plans to verify whether it is indeed the item delivered to the First Lady by Pastor Choi Jae-young on September 13, 2022, and whether there are any signs of use.
Choi Ji-woo, the lawyer representing the First Lady, issued a press release on the same day stating, "Currently, the Dior bag is stored completely unused and in its original packaging," which she said indicates that the First Lady had no intention of using the bag.
According to Kim’s side, on the day the bag was received, she instructed Administrative Officer Yoo Mo, "Since returning it immediately might cause offense, please return it later in a way that does not upset anyone," but Administrative Officer Yoo later forgot to return it.
The prosecution also plans to investigate the circumstances under which the Presidential Office came to store the luxury handbag.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
