IIt looks like the plot of a complicated Korean drama. South Korea's first lady was secretly filmed receiving a lavish gift from a pastor who advocates unification with North Korea. However, this is not a scripted story, but rather an actual political crisis that has thrown South Korea's conservative government into turmoil.
With less than three months left until the national election, South Korean media is full of accusations and accusations, all of which stem from the alleged gifting of a Dior handbag over a year ago.
The uproar began with a meeting between Korean-American pastor Choi Jae-young and Kim Gun-hee, the wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol.
Choi has a history of involvement with North Korea, having visited the communist country several times and prayed in one of the few state-run churches in Pyongyang.
Motivated by a desire to “share advice” on unification issues with the current administration, he approached First Lady Kim and cultivated a relationship with her, leading to a one-on-one meeting in 2022 just a few months later. said. After her husband became president.
During this meeting, Mr. Choi claims that Mr. Kim overheard a telephone conversation that touched on sensitive national politics. Alarmed by the nature of the alleged discussion, he decided to secretly record the upcoming meeting using a spy camera hidden in his watch.
Accusations of abuse of power are no laughing matter in South Korea. Former conservative president Park Geun-hye was impeached and imprisoned on corruption charges before being pardoned by her successor.
When Choi met Kim for the second time, Kim reportedly gave her a Dior bag worth 3 million won (about 224,000 yen). Both the bag and the hidden camera were provided by Voice of Soul, a left-wing news site known for its staunch opposition to the Yun administration.
Voice of Soul released the video at the end of November. In it, the first lady is shown talking to Mr. Choi, in which Mr. Choi tells Mr. Kim that he brought her a present, to which Mr. Choi replies, “Why do you keep buying things like that?” Please don't buy such expensive items. ” It is not clear that the Dior bag was given to Kim, but it continues to be placed on the table in front of her.
In interviews with foreign media, Choi said he was motivated purely by the public's right to know about the corruption allegations. He claims he sent a message to Kim in advance telling her he would bring the bag and that he did not later refuse or attempt to return it.
The potential legal implications are vague. The anti-corruption law prohibits spouses of public officials from accepting gifts worth more than 1 million won (about 74,000 yen) at a time, but the gifts must be “related to the official's duties.”
At the same time, Choi himself has faced criticism from supporters of the president who say the maneuver is an attempt to influence the election.
The Guardian was unable to independently verify the video or Choi's claims, but anti-corruption agencies said they were investigating the incident. To date, there has been no official statement from the presidential office.
Kim Gun Hee is no stranger to controversy, as he has overcome a series of allegations, including: plagiarism Regarding her academic writings, resume padding accusation Stock price manipulation.
The dispute proved to be a source of headache and embarrassment for the husband. In early January, Yun vetoed the bill That would have allowed a special investigation into his wife's alleged involvement in stock price manipulation.
South Korea's general election is scheduled for April 10th, and both major political parties are doing everything they can to gain support. Neither party enjoys significant support from the public, and both are engaged in internal power struggles. In this context, a new handbag scandal could not have come at a worse time for the country. very unpopular president.
In a poll released by a local news station, 69% of respondents said Yun needs to explain his position on the controversy surrounding the first lady. Another poll in December found that 53% of respondents thought Kim had acted inappropriately, while 27% said he had fallen into a trap set to embarrass him.
Political analyst Lee Jeong-hoon said, “This is a political bomb.'' “Kim Gun Hee's risk is only going to get bigger.”
The president's supporters dismissed the bag scandal as a smear campaign. However, some members of the ruling People's Power party have insisted on an apology, and the party's interim leader, Han Dong-hoon, acknowledged that the controversy may be a “concern of the people.” .
Mr. Han, who most recently served as justice minister and was widely considered a close ally of Mr. Yoon, said the Dior bag scandal was a “premeditated hoax using spy cameras…There were several illegalities involved in the handling of the matter.” There was an act.”
Tensions between Yun's office and the party threatened to boil over last week after a senior lawmaker likened the situation to the infamous case of Marie Antoinette, the French queen known for her debauchery.
There were clear differences of opinion among the ruling party's top leaders over how to handle the issue, and turmoil within the party came to a head on Sunday when senior officials from Mr. Yoon's office met with Mr. Han and suggested he resign. Reached. Mr. Han refused.
The unfolding drama has soured the mainstream conservative media, which is usually sympathetic to the president, and has described the uproar as a potential “risk” for the ruling party ahead of elections.
“As long as it is true that First Lady Kim received the luxury bag, she cannot escape public criticism. If President Yoon had apologized from the beginning…the situation would not have escalated to this point.” said the influential Chosun Ilbo. editorial on tuesday.
“He did not do so, and the matter has now reached its worst possible state.”
