President Yoon Clarifies ‘Luxury Bag Controversy’ Amid Mounting Criticism

Amid the controversy surrounding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife Kim Keon Hee’s alleged receipt of luxury bags, the opposition party has launched fierce criticism.

Kwon Chil-seung, a senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said in a written briefing on the 7th, “The President’s brazen attitude towards the suspicion of Mrs. Kim Keon Hee’s luxury bag receipt is disappointing.” He pointed out, “President Yoon mentioned Mrs. Kim’s suspicion in the KBS special interview, but there was no apology in the end.”

He continued, “It is frustrating that the President is arrogantly unresponsive to the public’s demand for an apology and thorough investigation.”

The spokesperson Kwon also asked, “Is the President’s statement that it’s hard for the president and the first lady to be harsh to anyone and he will act more firmly when dealing with people’ an explanation for the suspicion of luxury bag receipt?”

He added, “The President’s arrogance is the thought of convincing the angry public with such excuses that cover his eyes and ears.” He also said, “The President has betrayed the public’s expectation of a sincere apology.”

President Yoon’s characterization of Mrs. Kim’s suspicion as a setup in the interview that day also became a target of criticism.

Spokesperson Kwon said, “It’s unbelievable that the President is joining the claim of hidden camera setup, political setup to avoid responsibility,” and “It’s doubtful to the point that such a forced claim originated from the President.”

He emphasized, “We clearly warn that the only way for President Yoon to ask for forgiveness from the public is to accept the Kim Keon Hee special investigation law and declare a thorough investigation into the suspicion of luxury bag receipt.”

The New Future Party, where Lee Nak-yon and Kim Jong-min are co-leaders, also took issue with President Yoon’s interview that day.

Kim Hyo-eun, a senior spokesperson for the New Future, said, “President Yoon’s KBS special interview felt like watching a boring 90-minute movie that spent a lot of money and failed at the box office.” He commented, “It was tragic to see the public broadcaster turned into a PR agency for the President’s family explanation.”

He continued, “The intention was revealed from the title “Going to the Presidential Office”. The previous president’s interview was a “Conversation with the public”. At least it showed an attitude to tell the story that the public wants to hear and to communicate.” He pointed out, “The purpose of today’s interview was just one. It was to say that the truth about Mrs. Kim’s luxury bag receipt was a hidden camera and a political setup, and it was because of Kim Keon Hee’s nature that she couldn’t be harsh on people.”

He also criticized, “It’s laughable that KBS downsized the luxury bag that Mrs. Kim received to a pouch. The cooperation between KBS and the presidential office to create a forced drama was fantastic. The president spent time making detailed excuses.”

Meanwhile, President Yoon expressed his position for the first time on the controversy over Mrs. Kim’s luxury bag receipt in the New Year’s special interview “Going to the Presidential Office” with KBS, which was aired at 10 p.m. on the 7th.

President Yoon, regarding the circumstances in which Mrs. Kim received the luxury bag, said, “(The Korean-American pastor who approached Mrs. Kim) was a hometown friend of her father and came talking about their friendship, so it’s hard to be harsh to anyone in that situation. If the problem is that she couldn’t cut off (the pastor) ruthlessly, then it’s a problem.” He confessed, “I would have been a little more firm, but I think it was difficult for my wife to push him away because of various situations, and there are some regrettable points.”

He continued, “We need to clearly draw the line so that the public does not misunderstand, feel uneasy, or worry about this.”

He also expressed regret, saying, “The fact that it exploded like this after a year, at the point of an upcoming election, is a political setup.”