South Korea’s first lady, Kim Keon Hee, has been questioned regarding allegations of stock manipulation and graft involving a $2,200 luxury handbag, as reported by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
The questioning follows opposition calls for a special investigation into Kim, who has faced scrutiny for accepting a Dior handbag, in violation of government ethics rules, and for her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scheme.
Hidden camera footage released last year showed Kim accepting the handbag, later dubbed the “Dior bag scandal” by local media. This incident has negatively impacted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s approval ratings, contributing to his party’s defeat in the April general elections.
South Korean law prohibits public officials and their spouses from accepting gifts worth more than $750. Kim’s aide stated that Kim intended to return the bag the same day but forgot to do so. In February, President Yoon dismissed the scandal as a “political scheme” but later apologized in May, calling his wife’s acceptance of the bag “unwise.”
This is not the first controversy surrounding Kim; she previously apologized for falsified credentials during Yoon’s presidential campaign.
