South Korea's First Lady is at the center of a political storm after getting caught accepting expensive gifts. Her misdeeds could provide President Yoon Suk Yeol a major jolt in the April national elections.
South Korea is under major political turmoil due to uproar from the opposition parties after a sting operation of South Korea's First Lady surfaced. The public perception as well is quickly changing against President Yoon Suk Yeol who is set to face a general election in April.
South Korea's First Lady, Kim Keon Hee was caught accepting an expensive gift worth $2,250 live on camera. Kim Keon Hee in a meeting with a Korean American pastor, Abraham Choi, willingly accepted the luxury Dior bag. The whole act was caught through a small camera on the watch of Abraham Choi. The Pastor requested a meeting with Kim Keon Hee to discuss the President's hardline policy on North Korea.
The South Korean Lady also accepted Chanel cosmetics in her first meeting with Abraham Choi. This concerned Choi who believed that Kim Keon Hee's influence in the administration was concerning and it needed to be exposed. Abraham Choi after securing the footage worked with the left-leaning Youtube channel Voice of Seoul to release it in November 2023.
President Yoon Suk Yeol hasn't spoken about the bribery scandal in the public yet nor has he or even his wife apologized. With such a tactic, political experts believe the ruling People Power Party is losing the support that includes youth who are more sensitive to such matters. There is also a rift taking place between Yoon Suk Yeol’s office and the People Power Party leaders.
The opposition has asked for a public apology and a thorough investigation into the matter. Yoon Suk Yeol came to power last year with the nickname of ‘Bulldozer’ which he received for his anti-corruption efforts as a prosecutor-general. Before joining the People Power Party, Yoon Suk Yeol led many high-profile investigations and contributed to bringing corruption down.