Prosecutor General Orders Dedicated Team to Thoroughly Investigate Kim Geon-hee's Luxury Bag Allegations

by Kim Bokyung

Published 03 May.2024 20:55(KST)

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok has instructed the formation of a dedicated investigation team to promptly investigate the allegations of luxury handbag acceptance involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

With the Democratic Party, which won a landslide victory in the general election, announcing plans to immediately propose a special prosecutor law to investigate First Lady Kim once the 22nd National Assembly convenes at the end of this month, the prosecution appears to be tightening its atmosphere and gearing up for full-scale efforts amid heightened tension.

According to the legal community on the 3rd, Prosecutor General Lee received a weekly regular report from Song Kyung-ho, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the day before and instructed him to form a dedicated investigation team regarding the First Lady’s case involving the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

It is reported that Prosecutor General Lee told Chief Prosecutor Song, "Investigate swiftly and thoroughly based on evidence and legal principles to clearly ascertain the truth."

Within and outside the prosecution, there is speculation that since the Prosecutor General himself has ordered the fact-finding, the investigation, which had seen no visible progress since the case was reported in December last year, may now accelerate.

The allegations of First Lady Kim accepting luxury handbags surfaced in November last year through a report by the internet media outlet 'Seoul's Voice.'

At that time, Seoul's Voice reported, "On September 13 last year, after President Yoon took office, First Lady Kim received a luxury handbag worth approximately 3 million won as a gift from Pastor Choi Jae-young, a Korean-American," and released a video capturing the scene.

The video was reportedly filmed by Pastor Choi using a 'wristwatch hidden camera,' and the gift was prepared by Seoul's Voice.

Baek Eun-jong, CEO of Seoul's Voice, subsequently filed a complaint with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office accusing President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and bribery charges. This case was assigned to the Criminal Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

The Democratic Party, which won a landslide victory in last month's general election, has stated its intention to immediately propose a special prosecutor law related to First Lady Kim Keon-hee once the 22nd National Assembly begins at the end of this month.