SEOUL - South Korean prosecutors have interrogated First Lady Kim Keon Hee in connection with allegations that she accepted a Christian Dior handbag and other costly gifts, as well as her supposed involvement in a stock manipulation scandal.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim underwent questioning on Saturday at an undisclosed government facility for approximately 12 hours, concluding around 1:20 a.m. This marks the first instance where a sitting president's spouse has been directly questioned by prosecutors. The focal point of the inquiry is the allegation that Kim received gifts, including a handbag valued at about 3 million won (US$2,175), from pastor Choi Jae-young in September 2022, purportedly in exchange for favors. Although Kim's aide testified earlier this month that the first lady had intended to return the handbag on the day it was received, it was reportedly not returned due to oversight.
Separately, this was also the first face-to-face questioning regarding Kim’s alleged involvement in a stock manipulation case linked to Deutsch Motors Inc., a BMW dealership in South Korea. This follows a written questionnaire sent last year, which prosecutors say did not yield the necessary responses. The case involves Kwon Oh-soo, a former executive of Deutsch Motors, accused of collaborating with prominent market players to manipulate stock prices from December 2009 to December 2012. An appellate court decision on Kwon is expected in September.
The investigation into the first lady comes after similar probes involving former first ladies Lee Sun-ja and Kwon Yang-sook in 2004 and 2009, respectively, though their investigations occurred post-presidency. The presidential office has refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation, deeming it inappropriate. Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party criticized the choice of location for the interrogation as mere theatrics, a claim the presidential office dismissed as exaggerated.