First lady's Dior bag scandal continues to haunt president and ruling party

First Lady Kim Keon Hee listens to President Yoon Suk Yeol's speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 20, 2023 (local time). Newsis

A dispute between President Yoon Suk Yeol and ruling People Power Party (PPP) interim leader Han Dong-hoon appears to have subsided after their unexpected meeting on Tuesday. But the party's internal conflicts, stemming from multiple controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee, are expected to persist.

The presidential office appears to be considering its next move in addressing allegations that the first lady received a Dior handbag from a Korean American pastor in 2022. The scandal triggered the Yoon-Han feud, but public sentiment now appears to be tilting more favorably toward the PPP leader.

In a public opinion poll reased on Wednesday, 69 percent of 1,000 eligible voters agreed that Yoon should articulate his position on issues surrounding his wife.

While a significant majority of liberal party supporters believe that the president should express his stance, the opinions among the conservative ruling party's loyalists were quite evenly divided, with 46 percent in favor and 47 percent against.

The poll, conducted by Embrain Public from Sunday to Monday at the request of cable news channel YTN, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at a 95-percent confidence level.

The PPP leader previously stated that the Dior bag issue "could be a matter of public concern." He has not signaled a change in his position even though he and Yoon appeared to have patched up their feud after riding back to Seoul on a train on Tuesday following a visit to a fire-ravaged traditional market in South Chungcheong Province.

"I have already sufficiently expressed my opinion. I will not add more to what I have already mentioned," Han told reporters, Wednesday, when asked whether his stance on the first lady's controversies remains unchanged.

Han Dong-hoon, interim leader of the ruling People Power Party, writes an encouraging message for party members in the April 10 general elections at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

The first lady has been embroiled in controversy after a liberal YouTube-based news channel, Voice of Seoul, alleged in November that she received a Dior handbag worth about 3 million won ($2,250) from a Korean American pastor in September 2022. The pastor secretly filmed the exchange using a camera embedded in his watch.

While liberals accused Kim of bribery, Yoon's office refuted the claim, saying instead that it was a premeditated spy camera trap.

Han, known as the president's right-hand man, had initially shared the same view as Yoon's office.

But on Jan. 18, the PPP leader said, "this could be a matter of concern for the public." The next day, he described it as an "issue to consider from the perspective of the public."

Yoon reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with Han's stance on the first lady. It is also said that the president expressed discontent over Han recommending Kim Kyung-yul, a member of the PPP's interim leadership committee, as a candidate for the Mapo B constituency in Seoul in the upcoming April 10 general elections. Kim has been critical of the first lady, comparing her with Marie Antoinette.

Yoon demanded that Han should resign from the interim leader post and conveyed the message through presidential chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup. But Han told reporters, Monday, that he rejected the proposal.

Amid rising concerns that the discord between Yoon and Han could undermine the party's election campaigns, the two leaders swiftly demonstrated reconciliation by meeting at a traditional market in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong Province, on Tuesday afternoon, following a fire the previous night. They jointly inspected recovery operations and traveled back to Seoul together on the presidential train.

Ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon bows to President Yoon Suk Yeol as they greet each other at the site of a market fire in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

Eom Kyeong-young, director of the Zeitgeist Institute, a private political think tank, suggested that Yoon might take additional steps to completely mend relations with Han, seeking to resolve any confusion within the party.

"To help enhance Han's leadership and resolve the party feud, the presidential office may consider issuing a statement expressing regrets (regarding Kim’s Dior bag scandal) or even deliver a direct apology from the first lady," he told The Korea Times.

PPP members gave differing views on how the presidential office should address the first lady's Dior bag issue.

Some lawmakers advocate for a clear apology either from Yoon's office or directly from Kim herself, while others express concerns that offering an apology could be exploited by opposition lawmakers in the lead-up to the general elections.

"It (the luxury bag issue) is serious and should not be overlooked. I've seen cases where negative issues that are not properly addressed ahead of the elections ultimately impact voter sentiment," Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the PPP said during a radio interview, Tuesday.

Rep. Lee Sang-min, a fellow PPP lawmaker, echoed a similar sentiment, stating that "issues that people are curious and uncomfortable about should be resolved."

"One may think that the first lady fell victim to a set-up using a spy cam. However, the situation did involve the exchange of the luxury bag, making it difficult for her to entirely evade accusations," he said during a radio interview, Tuesday.

"Once the first lady offers an honest explanation to the people, they might understand the circumstances. If the issue is used in a political attack, the public will turn their backs on the Democratic Party of Korea," Lee added.