The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has decided to drop the anti-corruption charges against Kim Keon-hee, the wife of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, concluding an investigation into allegations that she received a luxury Christian Dior handbag and other expensive gifts in exchange for favors.
According to legal sources on August 21, the prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to prove that Kim violated the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. This decision comes four months after the district office was directed by the prosecution chief to form a special investigation team for the case.
The investigation centered on accusations that Kim accepted a Dior handbag valued at three million won (approximately S$2,900) from Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young in September 2022, four months after President Yoon’s inauguration. Prosecutors investigated whether the acceptance of the gift constituted a violation of South Korea’s anti-graft laws.
During the investigation, various individuals, including Kim, her aides, and Choi, were questioned. Prosecutors ultimately determined that the handbag was a personal gift between friends, with no evidence of a quid pro quo arrangement. The handbag, they concluded, was a token of gratitude from Choi to Kim.
This decision follows a June ruling by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, which also chose not to pursue action against Kim, noting that the law does not impose penalties on officials’ spouses for receiving gifts unless it relates directly to the official’s duties. As such, President Yoon is also expected to be cleared of any obligations under the anti-corruption law, as the gift was not linked to his role as a public official.
The inquiry into the matter began in December 2023 after Baek Eun-jong, head of the local media outlet Voice of Seoul, accused Kim of violating the anti-graft Act. Voice of Seoul had published a video in November 2023 showing Choi handing over the handbag to Kim during a meeting in Seoul, allegedly filmed with a hidden camera. The presidential office later clarified that the handbag was being “managed and stored as a property of the government.”
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