Many South Korean citizens have turned their attention to the controversy surrounding South Korea’s First Lady Kim Keon-hee’s apparent acceptance of a luxury handbag.

The controversy sparked when a secretly-filmed footage of the first lady was released by Pastor Choi Jaeyoung, a Korean-American who has been active in the unification movement of North and South Korea.

Pastor Choi has a history of engagement with North Korea and has visited the country several times to conduct prayers at Pyongyang’s state-operated churches.

In the full footage released by a Youtube channel named the “Voice of Seoul” at 9 P.M. on November 27, 2023, Pastor Choi Jaeyoung was seen visiting first lady Kim’s office located in Seocho-dong, Seoul in September 2022.

Personnel presumed to be bodyguards confirmed Pastor Jae-young Choi’s identity and then conducted a security check. He went through this process without difficulty and faced Mrs. Kim.

As soon as Pastor Choi sat down, he handed the Dior bag he had prepared to Kim. Her response was inquiring “Why do you keep buying this?” and “Don’t buy something this expensive.”

Although the transfer of the Dior bag to Kim is not apparent, it was continuously placed on the table in her presence.

Pastor Choi claims that he messaged Kim in advance, notifying her that he was bringing the bag and that there were no attempts to refuse it or return it later.

Choi says that he initially desired to meet with Kim because he wanted to“share advice” on matters related to unification with the current administration.

Regarding the motivations of Pastor Choi’s secret filming, he claimed that he overheard Kim engaged in a phone conversation touching upon sensitive state affairs.

Alarmed by the nature of the alleged discussion, Choi decided to secretly record their next meeting, using a spy camera concealed within a wristwatch.

Speaking to foreign media, Choi said he was purely driven by the public’s right to be aware of alleged corruption.

This controversy became a topic of debate as South Korean law makes it illegal for public officials or their spouses to receive gifts worth more than 1 million won in one go, or a total of 3 million won within a year.

This controversy had also caused a division within the People Power Party itself, of which President Yoon Suk Yeol is a part of.

Ye-chan Jang, a member of the People Power Party, defended Kim Keon-hee, saying “This situation appears to be a planned political maneuver.”

On the other hand, Cheol-geun Kim, former head of the People’s Power Party’s political office, addressed this controversy in an interview, saying “It must be unacceptable for the President’s first lady to behave this way.”

On January 24th, a public opinion poll showed that 69% of those surveyed demanded an official explanation from the President.

Along with this, senior party officials and political scientists also called for the ‘Kim Keon-hee risk’ to be resolved before the general election taking place later in April 10, 2024.

The conflicting views and the debate over the first lady and her controversial acts seems unlikely to settle down until President Yoon publishes a public statement.

Claire An

Grade 11

Yongsan International School of Seoul