Surveillance video from late last year seemed to show her receiving a Christian Dior purse from a pastor.
According to some observers, the scandal jeopardizes President Yoon Suk Yeol’s party’s chances in the elections scheduled for April.
According to polls, voters want Mr. Yoon to explain himself, but the opposition has seized on the matter to criticize him.
The video was released by Voice of Seoul, a left-wing YouTube channel. It is said that pastor Choi Jae-young secretly recorded the footage with a camera hidden in his watch.
The image seemed to show Mr. Choi making his way to a store where he paid 3 million won ($2,200; £1,800) for the greyish-blue calfskin bag. The first lady owns Covana Contents in Seoul, where Mr. Choi next visits. Ms. Kim asks the pastor, “Why do you keep bringing me these things?” at this point.
Local media claims that the first lady received the bag in September 2022.
The presidential office acknowledged receiving the bag and stated that it was “being managed and stored as a property of the government,” according to the Korea Herald, even though the video does not clearly show Ms. Kim accepting the gift.
Yonhap news agency reported, citing unidentified sources, that Mr. Yoon’s office intends to address the matter “as early as this month.”
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