The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of South Korea has requested a police investigation into the 2024 decision that ex-first lady Kim Keon Hee’s acceptance of a luxury handbag from a Korean American pastor did not breach anti-graft laws. The commission faced criticism for clearing Kim of any wrongdoing after she received a Dior handbag from pastor Choi Jae-young, with no specific regulation cited for public servants’ spouses in the anti-graft law.
Following the appointment of a new chief post the removal of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the commission initiated a probe earlier this year to review the controversial ruling. It was discovered that the then deputy commission chief had an unofficial meeting at Yoon’s official residence and was accused of mistreating a senior official involved in the handbag case, who tragically took his own life.
In a recent development, the commission announced its decision to escalate the matter to the police for further investigation. Additionally, the commission’s task force overturned a previous 2024 ruling that faulted medical staff for providing preferential treatment when transferring opposition leader Lee Jae Myung from Busan to Seoul via helicopter after a knife attack. The agency clarified that the medical staff acted within their authority in making the transfer decision, dismissing claims of a code of conduct violation.
