South Korea First Lady's ₹1.84 Lakh Handbag Sparks "Dior Scandal"

South Korea's First Lady faces backlash over a ₹1.84 lakh Dior handbag, igniting the "Dior Scandal" amid debates on luxury spending during economic hardships.

Footage from a hidden camera released last year seemed to capture Kim receiving a $2,200 luxury designer handbag. This incident was subsequently referred to as the "Dior bag scandal" by local newspapers.

‍Seoul: South Korea's First Lady, Kim Keon Hee, is under investigation for allegations of stock manipulation and graft related to a $2,200 luxury handbag, the prosecution reported on Sunday.

The interrogation arises as the opposition demands a special investigation into Kim, who is scrutinized for accepting a Dior handbag, allegedly breaching government ethics rules, and her suspected involvement in a stock manipulation scheme.

Prosecutors conducted "face-to-face questioning" with Kim on Saturday, according to a statement from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Last year, hidden camera footage surfaced, seemingly showing Kim accepting a $2,200 luxury designer handbag, an act labeled the "Dior bag scandal" by local media.

The scandal has negatively impacted President Yoon Suk Yeol's already low approval ratings, contributing to his party's significant loss in the general elections in April, where they failed to regain a parliamentary majority.

Accepting such a gift would violate South Korean law, which prohibits public officials and their spouses from receiving items worth more than $750.

According to Yonhap news agency, Kim's aide informed investigators earlier this month that the first lady had instructed her to return the bag the same day she received it but had forgotten to do so.

In his initial comments on the scandal in February, Yoon dismissed it as a "political scheme," explaining that his wife accepted the bag because it was hard for her to refuse it.

However, Yoon later apologized in a rare press conference in May, describing his wife's acceptance of the bag as "unwise."

This is not Kim's first public scrutiny. During Yoon's presidential campaign, she had to apologize for falsified credentials.

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Source: NDTV‍