Prosecution team decides to drop charges against first lady in luxury bag case

A prosecution investigation team has decided to acquit first lady Kim Keon Hee of charges related to her acceptance of a Dior handbag from a Korean American pastor in 2022, legal officials said Wednesday.

The team from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office (SCDPO), which is in charge of the first lady’s case, has recently reported the decision to Lee Chang-soo, the head of the SCDPO, and Lee plans to report it to Prosecutor General Lee One-seok soon, the officials said.

The report to the top prosecutor is expected to take place Thursday, they added.

The SCDPO division concluded that charges of anti-graft law violation cannot be sought against Kim in connection with the allegations she illegally received the luxury bag worth about 3 million won (US$2,255) and other expensive gifts from pastor Choi Jae-young two years ago, they said.

The decision came about four months after the top prosecutor ordered the SCDPO to set up a special investigation team on the case.

The investigation team also reportedly concluded that the bag received from Choi appears to have no relevance to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s duties.

The team reportedly regarded the bag as a gift exchanged between individuals to express gratitude, considering the circumstances and Choi’s alleged requests for Kim’s favors, including one to secure former Korean American U.S. House Rep. Jay Chang Joon Kim’s future burial at a national cemetery.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) slammed the decision, accusing the investigation team of cutting slack for Yoon and the first lady.

“It’s an act that gives impunity to the president and the first lady, and a distorted interpretation of the law that does not align with the legal principles at all,” DP Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui said.