President Yoon and his wife visited the UK in November 2023
The Korea Herald reported on February 8 that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has spoken out after a secretly filmed video emerged of his wife, Kim Keon Hee, receiving a Christian Dior handbag worth 3 million won (55 million VND).
"(The guest who gave the bag) had a hidden camera installed in his watch, so we can say it was a deliberate setup. Also, (Voice of Seoul) released the footage near the general election, a year after the incident, so we can see that it was a political ploy," he said.
However, he admitted that his wife's actions as seen on hidden camera were "regrettable".
"But the important thing is not whether it is a political trick or not. Rather, it is more important to behave properly, so it is necessary to draw a clear line to prevent such incidents from happening again," according to the leader.
President Yoon said the guest had easy access to Ms. Kim because the footage was filmed when he and she were still living in their separate apartment in Seocho-gu before moving to the new presidential palace in Yongsan-gu, and because the guest mentioned his relationship with Ms. Kim's father, who died when she was young.
“In my opinion, it would be difficult for her to be cold in this situation,” said Mr. Yoon.
The leader has faced pressure to clarify his stance, after the incident caused a stir in South Korea and attracted international media attention.
The incident came to light in November 2023, after secretly filmed footage was posted on the Voice of Seoul YouTube channel, showing Pastor Choi Jae-young giving away a luxury wallet that a Voice of Seoul staff member had just purchased.
Mr. Choi was able to meet Ms. Kim directly because he was a friend of her father. In December 2023, the YouTube channel sued Ms. Kim under a law that prohibits public servants or their spouses from accepting gifts worth more than 1 million won.
South Korea's presidential office has consistently maintained that the first lady fell victim to a "carefully orchestrated plot" to film her illegally without her consent.
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