A lawyer for first lady Kim Keon Hee said Tuesday it is true that Kim ordered her aide to return a Dior bag she received as a gift from a pastor on the same day it was given, asking media to refrain from “excessive speculation” on the matter.
Lawyer Choi Ji-woo released a press release, expressing hope that media will refrain from “excessively speculative and malicious articles” on the first lady.
The scandal centers on allegations that Kim illegally received a Dior handbag worth about 3 million won (US$2,175) and other expensive gifts from pastor Choi Jae-young in 2022. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office has been investigating the case.
Legal sources said Monday the aide, surnamed Yoo, disclosed Kim’s order during questioning by prosecutors on July 3.
The lawyer argued that the first lady instructed Yoo to return the bag later so that pastor Choi would not feel bad, saying an immediate return of the gift may offend the pastor. “Thus the bag was kept wrapped in wrapping paper and stored in an
unused state. It suggests there was no intention to use it and there was an intention to return it,” the lawyer said.
The lawyer went on to deny any intention to shift responsibility for the bag allegations to someone else.
Source: Yonhap News Agency
