Prosecutors on Wednesday questioned an aide to first lady Kim Keon Hee as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that she illegally received a luxury bag gift from a Korean American pastor.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office questioned the aide surnamed Cho as a witness, marking the first time a presidential official has been questioned as part of the investigation into allegations that Kim received a Dior handbag worth 3 million won (US$2,171) from the pastor, Choi Jae-young, at her office in Seoul in September 2022.
Cho is known as one of the closest aides to the first lady, having served her almost since President Yoon Suk Yeol’s inauguration.
Choi has claimed that a secretary to Kim referred him to Cho to discuss his request regarding the future burial of former Korean American House Rep. Jay Chang Joon Kim at a South Korean national cemetery. The request, he said, was not fulfilled because Kim did not meet the requirements for a national cemetery burial.
During Wednesday’s quest
ioning, prosecutors were expected to focus on whether Kim instructed Cho to handle Choi’s request and whether she improperly interfered in the affairs of the patriots and veterans affairs ministry in favor of the pastor.
These suspicions, if confirmed, could constitute bribery and abuse of authority.
Choi and officials of Voice of Seoul, a news outlet that published a hidden camera video of the Choi-Kim meeting, are also under prosecution investigation on suspicions of secretly filming the video.
Wednesday’s questioning is expected to expand the investigation to include other aides to the first lady. Depending on the results, prosecutors are expected to review whether to question the first lady herself and, if determined necessary, decide how and when it would take place.
Source: Yonhap News Agency