South Korean Prosecutors Drop Charges Against First Lady Over Luxury Bag, According to Yonhap

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean prosecutors have opted not to pursue charges against first lady Kim Keon Hee regarding allegations of accepting inappropriate gifts last year, including a Christian Dior handbag, according to a report from the Yonhap news agency citing the Seoul prosecutors’ office.

The controversy has stirred significant political backlash in South Korea and played a role in the ruling party’s defeat in the recent presidential election in April.

Following a lengthy investigation into potential violations of anti-corruption laws, prosecutors determined that the gifts Kim received, which also included Chanel beauty products and whisky from a pastor, were unrelated to her official functions and that no favors were exchanged in return, as reported by Yonhap.

Officials from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office did not respond to requests for comment, and the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol stated it had no immediate remarks.

Prosecutors also dropped corruption charges against Rev. Abraham Choi, the pastor and family acquaintance of Kim, who filmed the gift exchange without consent and later shared the footage on an anti-Yoon platform. When questioned by prosecutors, Choi claimed he sought several favors during the gifting; however, prosecutors dismissed his comments, characterizing the interactions as personal.

Opposition lawmakers have called for a special counsel investigation into the incident and other allegations related to the first lady. A bill for such a probe was passed by the opposition-controlled parliament last month but was vetoed by President Yoon.

Yoon has referred to the scandal as a political maneuver but later issued an apology for the public concern it caused, attributing it to what he termed his wife’s “unwise behavior.” He also pledged to improve regulations to prevent similar issues in the future.