The ruling and opposition parties clashed Friday over a prosecution investigation team's decision to acquit first lady Kim Keon Hee of charges related to her acceptance of a Dior handbag from a Korean American pastor in 2022. Earlier this week, the team from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office (SCDPO), which is in charge of the first lady's case, concluded that charges of anti-graft law violation cannot be sought against Kim in connection with the allegations she illegally received the luxury bag worth about 3 million won (US$2,255) and other expensive gifts from pastor Choi Jae-young two years ago. During a plenary meeting of the legislation and judiciary committee, lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) criticized the prosecutors for conducting an "unjust" and lenient investigation. DP Rep. Lee Sung-yoon, who previously served as chief of the SCDPO, said that Justice Minister Park Sung-jae should immediately order a reinvestigation, adding that the prosecution has "become an in stitution that is unable to investigate those in power" and is now considered a subject to be abolished. "According to the prosecution's decision to acquit, all public officials in this room will now be able to freely accept expensive gifts through their spouses with no limit," DP Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui said in a sarcastic tone. On the other hand, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok of the ruling People Power Party argued that "there is no provision in the Anti-Graft Law on penalizing the spouse of a public official for accepting a bribe." The prosecution's decision came about four months after the top prosecutor ordered the SCDPO to set up a special investigation team on the case. The team reportedly regarded the bag Kim received as a gift exchanged between individuals to express gratitude. Source: Yonhap News Agency