South Korea officials shift attention from Dior bag scandal to ex-first lady's Chanel coat
South Korea's ruling party has sought to turn the tables on the opposition over corruption by seeking an investigation into former first lady Kim Jung-sook's alleged purchase of a Chanel jacket using public funds, as it reels from a similar scandal involving current leader Yoon Suk-yeol's wife.
People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Kang Min-kuk said Kim's custom-made black and white coat resulted in "a noticeable loss in government funds".
"What really needs to be addressed and questioned is the current whereabouts of the Chanel jacket worn by ex-first lady Kim Jung-sook when she accompanied her husband [Moon Jae-in] to his state visit to France in 2018," Kang said ahead of a meeting led by the opposition Democratic Party to discuss issues, including the conduct of President Yoon's spouse.
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The PPP boycotted Monday's gathering.
Another legislator, Lee Jong-bae, accused Kim of retaining the accessory lent by the French luxury fashion brand for her trip to the European nation with Moon.
Lee said earlier this month "no one has actually seen the jacket in question, which officials said was being kept in Chanel headquarters in France", The Korea Herald reported.
In 2022, Moon's office said Kim had returned the jacket, of unknown value, to Chanel. The company later "donated" the item to Seoul's National Hangeul Museum, which displayed it at an exhibition the same year.
Critics, however, pointed out that the outfit was different from the one worn by Kim.
That argument gained credence when Chanel's South Korean unit revealed that the jacket was returned, but it was not the piece given to the museum, sparking further speculation and intrigue.
Moon insisted his wife never bought clothes with public funds, and also appealed a court ruling ordering him to declare details of the unofficial spending by his family.
South Korea prohibits the spouse of a public official from receiving gifts worth more than 1 million won (US$750) in a single sitting, or items that exceed 3 million won in value over a one-year period. Those who violate the anti-corruption law face a maximum sentence of three years in prison and 30 million won in fines.
The PPP's corruption salvo at the Democratic Party came as the opposition tightened the screws on Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, demanding the couple apologise over a video in which she was caught receiving a US$2,200 Dior handbag from a Korean-American pastor in 2022.
Kim also faces a string of allegations, including tax evasion and stock-price manipulation.
PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon and several lawmakers have pressed Yoon to clear the air on the bag saga, fearing it could give the opposition an upper hand in April's general election.
In an effort to project unity, Yoon hosted a lunch for Han on Monday at the presidential office, where the two discussed "ways to improve the people's livelihoods".
Local media reported Yoon was still mulling how to respond to the controversies surrounding his wife.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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