Prosecutor advises against charges in first lady's Dior bag scandal

The head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office reported to the top prosecutor on Thursday that first lady Kim Keon Hee faces no charges in connection with her luxury handbag scandal.

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok, right, arrives at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [NEWS1]

The head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office reported to the top prosecutor on Thursday that first lady Kim Keon Hee faces no charges in connection with her luxury handbag scandal.

Lee Chang-soo, head of the central district office, briefed Prosecutor General Lee One-seok on the results of the investigative team's three-month probe during the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s regular briefing on Thursday afternoon.

The prosecutors concluded that the $2,200 Christian Dior bag and other gifts Kim received from Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young were not related to any of the president’s official duties, nor were they given in exchange for any favors.

Choi had claimed the bag was intended to facilitate the burial of former Korean American U.S. Congressman Jay Chang Joon Kim, whom he is known to have been close with, at the national cemetery. However, the prosecution determined that Choi’s request was never conveyed to the first lady, as she was unaware of the favor and her aides did not pass the request on.

The Improper Solicitation and Graft Act states that “no spouse of a public servant, in connection with the duties of the public servant, may receive, request or promise to receive" money or goods that are also restricted for public servants. This includes money or goods exceeding 1 million won ($750) at a time or 3 million won in a fiscal year.

The law does not include a punishment clause for the spouses of public servants who violate this provision.

In June, the Anti-corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) closed the case concerning the allegations against Kim, stating that the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act does not apply to the spouses of public officials. The ACRC also found no evidence that the bag was received in connection with the president's official duties.

Despite the investigative team's conclusion, however, the final decision rests with the prosecutor general, who can either approve the probe result or convene the prosecution’s investigation review committee, largely to address the controversies surrounding the investigation, which include Kim’s closed-door summons, questioning outside the prosecution’s office and the delay in reporting her questioning to Lee.

Choi announced earlier this week that he would officially request the committee to review the investigation on Friday.

The committee, an external body that reviews investigations of high public interest, consists of 15 experts randomly selected from a pool of 300 members. Its recommendations are not binding.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]