The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has been embroiled in an internal argument over how to cope with allegations of first lady Kim Keon Hee receiving a luxury bag as a gift in 2022, with some reform-minded members stepping up calls for an apology from her.
Kim Gyeong-ryul, an outspoken member of the PPP’s emergency leadership committee, said Friday that he remains convinced that there should be an apology from the wife of President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding the luxury gift allegations.
“There were some expectations for the first lady but they have been shattered,” said Kim in a radio talk show, referring to the allegations that surfaced on Nov. 28 last year, when Voice of Seoul, a liberal YouTube news channel, reported the first lady received a Christian Dior bag valued at around 3 million won (US$2,200) from a Korean American pastor in September 2022.
Cho Jung-hun, a PPP lawmaker, also said in a separate radio interview that the presidential office has to give a sufficient explanation over the incident in
consideration of many people who may feel uncomfortable over it.
As many other PPP lawmakers have also expressed growing concern about the scandal, particularly ahead of April’s general election, floor leader Rep. Yun Jae-ok guarded against any hasty reaction, saying finding the truth should come first.
Voice of Seoul has also disclosed a secretly filmed video of the meeting between the first lady and the pastor and filed a complaint with the prosecution, accusing the presidential couple of violating the anti-graft laws.
Some conservative supporters of the president have condemned the Dior video as a hidden camera trap maneuvered by his political opponents, while others say the public opinions should be carefully gauged.
PPP Rep. Ha Tae-kyung also said in a radio interview Thursday that the Dior bag was a trap but the best solution is for the first lady to apologize in person, while forensic psychologist professor Lee Soo-jung recently recruited by the PPP also expressed a similar view.
In a more cautiou
s response, PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon has said the incident was a hidden camera trap premeditated from the beginning, though there were things the public might be worried about.
Yun, the floor leader, has repeatedly emphasized that the luxury bag allegations are “political maneuvering.” He told reporters Friday that his party could play into the hands of those who launched the political maneuvering if it chooses to respond without understanding the fundamental nature of the incident.
“As the floor leader, I’m concerned about how to respond to unfair political attacks,” Yun said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency