society
Posted2024.05.08 9.45pm Modified2024.05.08 9.45pm
investigation next week
Pastor Choi Jae-young first raised suspicions that President Yoon Seok-yeol’s wife Kim Kun-hee was receiving luxury bags. Photo = News 1 It is reported that Pastor Choi Jae-young, who gave a luxury bag to President Yoon Seok-yeol’s wife Kim Kun-hee, will appear at the prosecutor’s office next week for investigation.
According to the legal community, on the 8th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) will call Pastor Choi, who has been accused of violating the law on improper solicitation and bribery, breaking into a house, obstruction of official duties by the hierarchy and defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, as suspected. We plan to investigate next week. Pastor Choi, a Korean-American, filmed himself using a “hidden wristwatch camera” handing over a luxury bag worth 3 million won to Ms. Kim on September 13, 2022, after President Yoon’s inauguration . It is known that both the luxury bag and the hidden camera were prepared by Seoul Voice reporter Lee Myung-soo.
The Voice of Seoul released the video shot in this way in November last year and accused President Yoon and his wife of violating the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Law and accepting bribes. Pastor Choi, who handed over the bag, was also investigated by prosecutors over allegations made by civic groups such as the Committee for the Lives of Ordinary People.
The investigation into this case is accelerating as three more prosecutors, including the Anti-Corruption Investigation Department, have been assigned to the First Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office after Attorney General Lee Won-seok ordered the formation of a team dedicated to Exposing Ms. Kim’s Anti-Graft Act on the 2nd. The prosecution intends to investigate Kim Sun-hwan, general secretary of the People’s Livelihood Countermeasures Committee on the 9th, and Baek Eun-jong , head of the Voice of Seoul, as accusers on the 20th. Pastor Choi said that in addition to the luxury bags, he also delivered luxury cosmetics and perfumes to Ms. Kim on several occasions, and the prosecution intends to look into all the allegations raised. Pastor Choi, CEO Baek and others claim that the video in question was shot for public interest journalism.
The anti-corruption law provides that the spouse of a public official must not receive or request money or objects of value exceeding a certain sum “in relation to official duties”. For this reason, the general observation in the legal community is that whether employment relevance is recognized will be an issue in determining whether it is illegal.
Pastor Choi and Director General Baek intend to present the original of the video posted on YouTube at the request of the prosecution. Seoul Sori announced that it plans to send three videos, including a 30-minute pre-edited video of the luxury bag delivery scene and a liquor delivery video.
Reporter Ahn Hye-won of Hankyung.com anhw@hankyung.com
#Prosecutors #investigate #Pastor #Jaeyoung #Choi #suspected #giving #Dior #bag #lady #Kim #Kunhee
