Special Prosecutor Seizes Roger Vivier Bag from Kim Kun-hee's Residence
Kim Ki-hyun: "The Gift Was a Matter of Social Courtesy"
In connection with allegations that Kim Kun-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, received a luxury brand 'Roger Vivier' bag from the spouse of Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki's team launched a compulsory investigation into the couple on December 17. It has been reported that the search and seizure warrant specifies Assemblyman Kim as an accomplice to his spouse Lee in violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
The special prosecutor's team announced to the media that morning, "We have begun a search and seizure of the National Assembly Secretariat's Office of Parliamentary Security to verify Assemblyman Kim's residence and vehicle access records." Kim's National Assembly office in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, was also included in the search.
Lee is suspected of delivering a Roger Vivier bag worth approximately 2.6 million won to Kim Kun-hee after Kim Ki-hyun was elected as the leader of the People Power Party in March 2023.
On November 6, while searching the residence of former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, the special prosecutor's team discovered the clutch bag in question, along with a thank-you letter written by Assemblyman Kim's wife. The team suspects that Kim Kun-hee mobilized members of the Unification Church to help Kim Ki-hyun win the People Power Party leadership election in March 2022, and that the bag was given as a reward for this assistance.
Regarding these allegations, the special prosecutor's team summoned Lee for questioning as a suspect on December 5, and on November 20, conducted a search and seizure at a department store in Seoul where Roger Vivier is located, focusing on verifying the facts.
The investigation found that the payment for the bag was withdrawn from Assemblyman Kim's account during the purchase process. Lee reportedly stated that "her husband was unaware of the purchase." However, as the special prosecutor's team believes that Assemblyman Kim was aware of both the purchase and delivery of the bag, he is expected to be summoned for questioning soon.
On November 8, Assemblyman Kim issued a statement acknowledging that the gift was given to the First Lady as a matter of social courtesy in his capacity as the spouse of the newly appointed ruling party leader, but insisted that there was no improper solicitation involved.
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