The first face-to-face investigation with Kim came about seven months after the accusations regarding the bag surfaced, and four years after allegations of her involvement in a stock manipulation of Deutch Motors, a major BMW car dealer in Korea.
Kim is accused of illegally receiving a Christian Dior bag worth about three million won ($2,159) from American pastor Choi Jae-young in September 2022, approximately four months after President Yoon Suk Yeol took office.
Footage secretly filmed by Choi, showing the first lady accepting the bag, was released by YouTube channel Voice of Seoul in November last year. The channel filed a complaint against Kim and Yoon, alleging bribery and violations of anti-bribery laws. Additional allegations involve Kim's involvement in the stock manipulation of Deutch Motors between 2009 and 2012.
During the questioning, Kim has apparently denied all the charges, claiming she instructed her assistant to return the bag to Choi, claiming it had no connection to her role as the first lady. However, for reasons unknown, the bag was not returned.
Kim was questioned for about 12 hours at an undisclosed location, rather than at a prosecutors' office, for safety reasons. That sparked criticism from opposition parties, who accused the prosecutors of providing "privileged treatment."
The investigation also raised suspicions of veiled tension between the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, as neither Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok nor any other supreme prosecutors were informed about the questioning.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
