Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
Yoon denies preferential treatment for first lady in luxury bag scandal
President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrive at Orly Airport in Paris, Nov. 23, 2023. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon
By Kwak Yeon-soo
President brushes off rumors about his uneasy relationship with PPP chief
President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that the questioning of first lady Kim Keon Hee outside the prosecution office was not due to preferential treatment and took place per relevant protocols.
Prosecutors questioned Kim at a presidential security facility instead of the prosecution office on July 20 over a series of allegations, including her acceptance of a Dior bag from a pastor in 2022.
The closed-door questioning of Kim has sparked a backlash from the opposition and claims that she was given special favors.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which led the investigation into Kim's alleged illegal acceptance of a luxury bag, concluded that she was not guilty of any wrongdoing, adding that the bag was given simply "out of gratitude."
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office then referred the case to a prosecution investigation review committee.
"The questioning of my wife was conducted in accordance with relevant regulations. When I was a prosecutor, I also visited a former first lady's house to conduct an investigation," Yoon said during Thursday's press conference at the presidential office in Seoul. "Unless a warrant has been issued, the method and location of the questioning can be decided after considering various factors."
Yoon said the presidential office is reviewing candidate sites for the office tasked solely with managing Kim's activities. So far, the office of the personal secretary to the president has been organizing her schedule.
President Yoon Suk Yeol walks past Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), during a forum for the Munhwa Future Report at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Seoul, Tuesday.
Yoon brushed off rumors about his uneasy relationship with ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon.
Yoon-Han tensions resurfaced after the presidential office objected to Han’s proposal to defer the next medical school quota hike planned for 2026 and said the government will stick to its original plan to increase admissions by 2,000 seats every year for the next five years.
“I’m on good terms with Han. The government and the ruling party are communicating smoothly through multiple channels,” Yoon said.
Despite the denial, Yoon canceled his planned dinner with PPP leaders until after the Chuseok holiday in an ongoing feud with Han over the medical school quota hike issue.
On whether he plans to meet Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, Yoon said the National Assembly's normalization should come before any one-on-one meetings between the two.
Yoon also shared his stance in vetoing a contentious special counsel bill on a Marine's death during a search and rescue operation in a flooded area in July 2023.
“The results of a police investigation into the case uncovered the actual truth and who was responsible," Yoon said. "During the Assembly committee’s hearing, it became clear that there was no interference by the government in the military’s investigation into the Marine’s death."