(2nd LD) Prosecutors grill pastor in luxury gift case involving first lady

The prosecution on Monday questioned a Korean American pastor who secretly filmed himself handing over a luxury Dior handbag to first lady Kim Keon Hee during their meeting in Seoul in September 2022.

The pastor, named Choi Jae-young, appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in the morning for questioning as a suspect on charges of violation of the anti-graft law, trespassing and obstruction of official duties, officials said.

Choi denied the charges, telling reporters that he conducted the undercover news reporting to inform the public about the true nature of President Yoon Suk Yeol and the first lady.

“The president who is in charge of state affairs and his spouse are supposed to be clean-handed to a fault but they were not. The true nature of this case is that the first lady privatized the presidential power,” the pastor said.

Prosecutors grilled Choi about how and why he delivered the luxury bag to the first lady and whether he solicited her favor, they added.

His summons came after civic activists filed complaints, claiming that Choi intentionally approached the first lady and secretly filmed the delivery of the handbag worth 3 million won (US$2,210) allegedly prepared by Voice of Seoul, an internet news outlet.

Voice of Seoul, which was once sued by the first lady for defamation, made public the video filmed by Choi in November last year.

Prosecutors already questioned the civic activists last week. The accusers argued that Choi appears to have conspired closely with Voice of Seoul to defame President Yoon and his wife in retaliation for the first lady’s defamation suit.

Separately, Voice of Seoul has filed a complaint against Yoon and the first lady on suspicions of bribery and anti-graft law violations.

Prosecutors are reportedly planning to summon the head of Voice of Seoul as an accuser next week.

Meanwhile, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, which is in charge of the investigation into the first lady, was suddenly replaced Monday in a reshuffle of senior prosecutors carried out by the Ministry of Justice.

Lee Chang-soo, chief of the Jeonju District Prosecutors Office, was named to replace Song Kyung-ho as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, while all four deputy chief prosecutors under Song were also replaced.

Lee, who served as a spokesperson for the Supreme Prosecutors Office in 2020 when Yoon was prosecutor general, is said to be close to the president. Song was appointed as head of the Busan High Prosecutors Office.