Photo : YONHAP News
Main opposition People Power Party lawmaker Kim Gi-hyeon denied in court allegations that he had provided a luxury handbag to former first lady Kim Keon-hee as a bribe, calling the claims “preposterous.”
The lawmaker made the remarks to reporters on Friday before the first hearing in the trial at the Seoul Central District Court, where he and his spouse are accused of violating the anti-graft law.
According to the allegations, Kim and his spouse provided the former first lady with a luxury clutch bag on March 17, 2023, in exchange for help in mobilizing Unification Church members during the People Power Party leadership election held on March 8, 2023.
The couple’s legal representatives reiterated their denial of all charges. Meanwhile, Kim’s spouse acknowledged that a bag was delivered by a third party but insisted it was merely a personal gesture unrelated to any official duties.
When asked by the court to identify the intermediary who delivered the bag, the spouse stated she could not remember because of the passage of time.