'Kim Lady Dior Bag' Appearing at the Hearing... Park Jangbeom: "Dior Pouch Is a Fact and Product Name"

"Clearly Stated as 'Dior Pouch' on the Website"

Park Jang-beom, the KBS president nominee, explained that his use of the term "pouch" in relation to the controversy over Kim Geon-hee's luxury handbag acceptance was "an objective and neutral term."

On the 18th, at the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee (STIBC) confirmation hearing, Park said, "I searched for the product (that Mrs. Kim reportedly received), and the official site clearly lists it as a 'Dior pouch.'"

He added, "Pouch is a fact and the product name," emphasizing again. The pouch controversy first arose during an exclusive interview broadcast on KBS 1TV in February this year with President Yoon Seok-yeol.

Park Jang-beom, a nominee for president of the Korean Broadcasting System, is responding to questions from lawmakers at the confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee on the 18th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

During the interview with President Yoon, Park mentioned the suspicion of Mrs. Kim receiving a luxury handbag, describing it as "so-called pouch, a small bag from a foreign company." Some opposition party members raised suspicions that this was an attempt to deliberately downplay the issue.

At the hearing, the Democratic Party continued to criticize Park. Jeong Dong-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former MBC anchor, said, "Calling a Dior bag a small pouch is clearly deceiving the viewers," adding, "The nominee’s mindset of not calling a Dior bag a Dior bag but a small pouch is like Hong Gil-dong’s feeling of not being able to call his father 'father.' Many people think the pouch remark was flattery."

On the 18th, at the hearing of Park Jang-beom, nominee for President of the Korean Broadcasting System, held by the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee at the National Assembly, Assemblyman Jo In-cheol raised a Dior bag while questioning. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

At the hearing, an actual Dior pouch product was presented. Lawmaker Jeong criticized, "The bag Mrs. Kim received is a handbag, but it was almost belittled as a small pouch like a coin purse."

Park argued, "The word 'luxury' contains connotations of good, excellent, or favorable products, so public broadcasting tends not to use it. I translated the English word 'pouch' into Korean. If you look up 'pouch' in the dictionary, it says 'small bag' or 'small handbag.'"

Meanwhile, on Dior’s official website, small handbags are categorized as 'pouches & clutches.' Dior describes this product line as "luxurious essential items." Generally, the size of a pouch is enough to hold a wallet or cards.