Chat records show pastor sent photo of gift to first lady ahead of meeting


Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young secretly filmed himself giving a luxury Dior handbag to first lady Kim Keon Hee in 2022 and persistently sought a meeting with her. He initially sent a photo of the handbag and a gift box to Kim via the messaging app KakaoTalk, expressing his desire to convey Chuseok greetings and his uncertainty about whether she would like the handbag. As there was no response from the first lady, he sent another message expressing his embarrassment and disappointment at the lack of response. Subsequently, the pastor was contacted by a secretary to Kim, who arranged a meeting between Choi and the first lady at her cultural and arts exhibition planning company, during which the first lady gave Choi a presidential Chuseok gift box and a watch. Furthermore, there were previous interactions between Choi and the first lady's secretary in June 2022, during which Choi had given the first lady luxury perfume and cosmetics. The internet news outlet Voice of Seoul, which revealed the video of Choi presenting the Dior bag, has provided the KakaoTalk records to the prosecution and filed a complaint against President Yoon Suk Yeol and the first lady for suspected bribery and anti-graft law violations. Choi is currently under investigation by prosecutors for alleged violations of the anti-graft law, trespassing, and obstruction of official duties. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office is considering whether and how to question the first lady, with Prosecutor General Lee One-seok emphasizing that there are no exceptions or special privileges before the law.


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