Presidential Office on 'Luxury Bag Suspicion': "Intentional Approach Using Late Father's Connection"

"Gifts Received by the Presidential Couple Belong to the State"

The Presidential Office described the suspicion surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee's receipt of a luxury bag as "a Korean-American pastor deliberately approaching the First Lady by leveraging his connection with Mrs. Kim's late father two years ago."

President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee, attending last year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, are seen bidding farewell on Air Force One at Seongnam Seoul Airport before departing for San Francisco, USA.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A Presidential Office official told Yonhap News Agency on the 19th, "An unprecedented incident occurred where the First Lady was illegally filmed under a meticulous plan, including pre-purchasing the item and recording the purchase process in advance," explaining the situation.

The official emphasized, "Gifts received by the presidential couple are not personally accepted by the president but are managed and stored by the state according to relevant regulations."

Earlier, a YouTube channel reported that First Lady Kim received a luxury bag as a gift from Korean-American pastor Choi Jae-young in September last year, after President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration. Pastor Choi filmed the event using a camera attached to his wristwatch, and the channel that reported it also stated that the filming was planned, sparking controversy over a 'sting operation.'

Meanwhile, Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, reportedly met privately with Han Dong-hoon, emergency committee chairman, on the morning of the same day to discuss countermeasures regarding the related suspicions. However, neither side disclosed specific details of their discussion.

The previous day, Floor Leader Yoon requested at a party meeting, "The essence of this incident is an unfair political plot. Please make this clear during interviews related to the luxury bag." In response, Kim Kyung-yul and other emergency committee members recruited by Chairman Han countered, saying it was a "difference in perception between TK (Daegu-Gyeongbuk) and the metropolitan area." Chairman Han also responded to questions about the luxury bag controversy on the same day by calling it a "sting hidden camera," while adding, "There were parts that the public could be concerned about."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.