First Lady Kim Keon Hee Breaks Silence on Dior Bag: No Apologies Here

First Lady Kim Kun Hee was the wife of President Yoon Suk Yeol. / Provided by the Presidential Office

On the 22nd, it was reported that First Lady Kim Keon Hee, wife of President Yoon Suk Yeol, delivered a Telegram message to her acquaintances stating that she would not apologize for the Dior bag controversy, as reported by Dong-A Ilbo on the 23rd.

According to the media, an official from the ruling party told a Dong-A Ilbo reporter, “When there were voices from within the ruling party calling for an apology for the Dior bag controversy, Kim wrote a message saying, ‘If I apologize, I will be attacked by the Democratic party and the general election will be at a disadvantage.’ Former Supreme Council member Jang Ye-chan made this claim publicly on the 20th, and People Power Party Representative Lee Yong made a similar claim on the 21st,” he said.

Former Supreme Council member Jang argued on his YouTube channel on the 20th, “The scheme of these leftists has gone too far and is inhumane,” and claimed, “Kim is a victim of planned set-up using a spy cam.” He said, “Why are we shifting responsibility to the victim and asking the victim to apologize? The perpetrator must make the apology.”

He said, “Kim immediately contacted the President’s Office and told them to keep the pouch and other items and return them following the official procedure. It’s clear that she has never used the pouch or the bag for personal purposes,” and added, “What the Democratic Party and the leftists are doing is stalking Mrs. Kim and violating her rights.”

On the 21st, Rep. Lee quoted the remarks of a conservative YouTuber in a Telegram group chat room where party members gathered and said, “There is much support to the argument that convincing apology is, in fact, impossible.”

Representative Lee also mentioned that the YouTuber said, “Whether she apologizes or not, the approval rating will not increase, and the moment she apologizes, the Democratic Party will tear her apart like wild dogs,” “Apologizing is a sure way to ruin the election. Matador must not fool you,” and “Apologies and forgiveness work only for normal people, but the leftists are not normal.”

Regarding the luxury bag Mrs. Kim received, the President’s Office stated, “Gifts received by the President and his wife are not received by the President personally, but belong to the state and are managed and stored following relevant regulations.”

As known, President Yoon sent Presidential Chief of Staff Lee Kwan Seop to convey to People Power Emergency Response Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon to resign as emergency committee chairman. It appears that such a strong response may have been because, unlike Chairman Han, who effectively stated that Mrs. Kim should apologize, he perceived Kim’s apology would not happen.

A ruling party official said, “It may not be right to force an apology only from Kim, even if President Yoon or Kim sincerely express their position after confirming the specific facts,” and “An apology for the planned hidden camera crime should come first,” Dong-A Ilbo reported.