President Yoon Suk Yeol has found himself embroiled in a significant controversy following the emergence of a scandal involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee, which has thrown his conservative People Power Party (PPP) into disarray. This scandal, which came to light in November of last year, could pose a serious threat to Yoon's efforts to secure a parliamentary majority, especially with the upcoming April 10 elections looming.
Kim Keon Hee, serving as South Korea’s First Lady, stands accused of receiving a lavish gift from a Korean American pastor named Rev Abraham Choi, a gesture that contravenes Korea’s anti-bribery legislation, according to reports by news agency Reuters.
Referred to as the 'Dior Bag Scandal' by local media outlets, the incident involves Kim Keon Hee being surreptitiously recorded by the pastor while accepting a handbag valued at 3 million won (equivalent to 2,250 US Dollars).
The scandal first came to public attention in November last year when a private YouTube channel aired the secretly recorded video clip featuring the pastor and Kim Keon Hee.
South Korea's stringent anti-bribery laws prohibit the acceptance of gifts exceeding 750 US Dollars at once or 2,200 US Dollars annually.
This controversy has escalated into a major crisis for President Yoon, with his PPP facing the looming threat of defeat in the April 10 elections due to the scandal.
Despite winning a closely contested election in 2022, Yoon’s PPP remains a minority party in the Parliament, which is currently dominated by the rival Democratic party.
According to a recent poll conducted by YTN cable news, 69 percent of respondents believe that Yoon must clarify his stance on the controversy surrounding the First Lady.
"The general sentiment among the public is, 'Even if it was a setup, why did she accept the gift?'" remarked Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.
Some party members have urged the President and his wife to acknowledge receiving the handbag and issue an apology to quell the controversy.
Analysts warn that remaining silent on the matter and instead pressuring a party leader to resign over internal disagreements could prove detrimental to the PPP's prospects in the April 10 elections.
"This is a political bombshell. The risks associated with Kim Keon Hee's involvement are only likely to escalate," cautioned Rhee Jong-hoon, a political analyst.
A presidential official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed to Yonhap news agency last week that Choi had deliberately approached Kim intending to illegally record her using his familial connections.
Choi claimed that while Kim was an acquaintance, her response to discussions about luxury gifts during their initial meeting led him to believe that such gifts were the only means of securing an audience.
"You could say they served as an entry pass, a ticket for a meeting (with Kim)," Choi explained in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday.
Choi expressed concerns following his meeting with Kim, prompting him to collaborate with a reporter from a YouTube channel to film her acceptance of the pricey handbag during a subsequent visit.
Yoon's office declined to comment on Choi's assertions when queried about them.
