SEOUL - In a high-profile legal development, South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon Hee was interrogated by prosecutors over her alleged receipt of luxury gifts and involvement in a stock manipulation scandal. The questioning, which marks the first time a sitting president's spouse has been interviewed by prosecutors, extended into the early hours of Saturday morning.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim faced a 12-hour session at a secure government facility, concluding around 1:20 AM. The choice of location, not the usual prosecutors' office, was made after discussions to address safety concerns. Kim is accused of accepting a Christian Dior handbag valued at approximately 3 million won (US$2,175) and other costly items from pastor Choi Jae-young in September 2022, purportedly in exchange for favors. Despite claims by an aide that the handbag was intended to be returned the same day it was received, it was reportedly never returned due to oversight.
The interrogation also covered Kim’s alleged involvement in a separate case of stock manipulation linked to Deutsch Motors Inc., a BMW dealership in South Korea. The scandal alleges that from December 2009 to December 2012, Kwon Oh-soo, the former head of Deutsch Motors, colluded with market influencers to manipulate stock prices. Although a questionnaire was sent to Kim last year regarding this case, satisfactory responses were reportedly not received.
Choi Ji-woo, Kim’s attorney, stated that the First Lady cooperated fully with the inquiry, maintaining her innocence in the allegations. Historically, only former first ladies Lee Sun-ja and Kwon Yang-sook have been summoned for investigations, but both were questioned after their husbands had left office.
While the presidential office refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation, it labeled it inappropriate to discuss ongoing legal matters. In contrast, the main opposition Democratic Party criticized the discreet nature of the proceedings as mere theatrics, while a presidential office official dismissed claims of preferential treatment for Kim as overstated.