Presidential Office Submits Dior Bag to Prosecution
Plans to Verify Usage Traces
President Yoon's Reporting Status Also a Controversy
If Known Under the Improper Solicitation Act, Should Have Reported Immediately
The prosecution investigating the suspicion of Kim Geon-hee's receipt of a luxury handbag secured the actual bag on the 26th.
First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who visited Hawaii with President Yoon Suk-yeol, arrived at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, USA, on the 8th (local time). After disembarking from Air Force One, she is moving to meet welcoming officials, including the Governor of Hawaii and his spouse. [Photo by Yonhap News]
According to the legal community, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) received the Dior bag worth approximately 3 million won, which Kim received from Pastor Choi Jae-young, from the Presidential Office on a voluntary submission basis.
The prosecution plans to verify whether the item delivered by Pastor Choi to Kim in September 2022 is indeed the same by comparing the product's unique serial number, check for signs of use, and investigate the circumstances under which the Presidential Office came to store the bag.
The prosecution also intends to confirm whether President Yoon Seok-yeol reported Kim Geon-hee's receipt of the luxury bag. It was reported that during the investigation on the 20th, Kim stated that President Yoon became aware of her receipt of the luxury bag around November last year when the internet media outlet Seoul's Voice requested coverage of the luxury bag incident from the Presidential Office.
Kim testified that after receiving the bag in September 2022, she instructed her staff to return it later, but the staff forgot to do so, which was discovered through Seoul's Voice's investigation. It is implied that President Yoon also became aware of Kim's receipt of the luxury bag around the same time.
Earlier, from the afternoon of the 20th to the early morning of the 21st, the prosecution questioned Kim at a third location. Based on Kim's testimony, they are expected to verify with the Presidential Office whether President Yoon indeed learned of the luxury bag receipt at that time, whether he reported it according to the procedures stipulated by the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and if not, the reasons for not reporting.
Under the current Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, while spouses of public officials are prohibited from receiving gifts, there is no penalty clause, making it impossible to indict Kim for violating the Act regarding the receipt of the luxury bag.
In President Yoon's case, there are penalty provisions related to whether he took any action after becoming aware of Kim's receipt of the luxury bag and whether he violated the obligation to report to his affiliated institution head. Due to the 'immunity from prosecution' stipulated in Article 84 of the Constitution, indictment of the sitting President Yoon is impossible, but investigation is possible, and indictment after leaving office is allowed.
Article 9, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2 of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act requires a public official to report in writing without delay to the head of their affiliated institution if they become aware that their spouse has received prohibited gifts. Additionally, Paragraph 2 of the same article mandates that the public official must promptly return or cause the return of the gift to the provider.
If a public official knows that their spouse has received prohibited gifts but fails to report to the head of their affiliated institution, they are subject to punishment under Article 22, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 2 of the Act, which includes imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won. Furthermore, under Article 23, Paragraph 5, Subparagraph 2, a fine amounting to two to five times the value of the gift may be imposed.
Once the verification process with the Presidential Office is completed, the prosecution is expected to finalize the investigation into Kim's receipt of the luxury bag by reviewing the investigation details and the Presidential Office's responses to determine whether President Yoon violated the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
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