The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office has decided to drop the anticorruption charges against first lady Kim Keon Hee, closing its investigation into allegations that she received a luxury Christian Dior handbag and other expensive gifts in exchange for favors. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, which is in charge of the first lady's case, has recently decided to acquit her of charges and report its decision to Prosecutor General Lee One-seok, according to legal circles on Wednesday. The prosecution dropped the case citing insufficient evidence to prove that she had violated the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.
The decision was made four months after the prosecution chief ordered the district office to set up a special investigation team on the case. The prosecutors' office reportedly concluded that the charges that Kim violated Korea's antigraft law cannot be made against her in connection with the allegations she illegally received the luxury bag worth 3 million won ($2,158) and other expensive gifts from Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young two years ago. The investigation focused on the potential illicit ties stemming from Kim's acceptance of the Dior handbag from Choi in September 2022, four months after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s inauguration, allegedly in exchange for favors.
The prosecutors primarily investigated the circumstances of how the handbag was delivered to and accepted by her, focusing on whether the transaction constituted a viol.