Kim Keon Hee, married to South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, has been questioned about allegations of bribery, where a luxury handbag from the brand Dior plays a central role. This was announced by Seoul's prosecution authority on Sunday.
The questioning comes after demands from the opposition for a special investigation into the President's wife due to what is called the "Dior handbag scandal" in South Korea. In January, a video began circulating online, showing Kim Keon Hee receiving a blue-gray handbag from the French luxury brand from Pastor Choi Jae Young, who secretly filmed the meeting.
It is illegal for public officials and their partners to accept gifts worth more than the equivalent of 7,500 kronor, while the Dior handbag cost over 22,000 kronor. The scandal was exacerbated by the fact that the pastor advocates for closer relations with North Korea, which the President is a strong opponent of.
The handbag affair hit hard on President Yoon Suk Yeol's already low opinion ratings, and is believed to have contributed to his party's poor performance in the April election.
