Prosecutors in South Korea have questioned first lady Kim Keon-hee for the first time amid controversy over her receiving a luxury Christian Dior handbag . The Seoul central district prosecutor’s office said Ms Kim was quizzed at an undisclosed government building behind closed doors for around 12 hours, which began at 1.30pm on Saturday and spilled into the early hours of Sunday.
The questioning of the first lady, the first time in the history of South Korea , comes amid mounting pressure by the opposition to probe Ms Kim for allegedly accepting the luxury bag valued at three million won (£1742) in exchange for favours . Spy camera footage of Ms Kim receiving the Dior bag from a pastor in 2022 ballooned into a major political controversy , tumbling president Yoon Suk-yeol’s approval rating below 30 per cent and his party's subsequent defeat in the parliamentary elections. In South Korea, government officials and their spouses cannot accept gifts that are worth more than $750.
The law mandates this even if there is no seeming conflict of interest. Choi Ji-woo, the lawyer representing Ms Kim, said the first lady “diligently cooperated with the investigation and truthfully testified to all the facts”. The lawyer said the first lady was mostly asked about how the bag was received and if any solicitations were made by the pastor, according to Korea Herald .
Ms Kim’s close aide told the investigator earlier this month the first lady had ordered the bag to be returned to.