SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors have questioned the wife of former Korean American U.S. House Rep. Jay Chang Joon Kim as part of an ongoing investigation into a luxury bag gift scandal involving the first lady, sources said Tuesday.
The investigation centers on allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee received a Dior handbag worth 3 million won (US$2,159) from Korean American pastor Choi Jae-young at her office in Seoul in September 2022.
Choi, known to have close ties with the former representative, has claimed to have made private requests to the first lady on his behalf, in return for the luxury bag and other luxury cosmetic products gifted to her.
Choi said these requests included naming Kim as one of the senior state affairs advisers for the president and securing his future burial at the national cemetery.
The pastor argued that he was referred to one of the first lady's close aides to discuss the burial request, although it was not ultimately fulfilled because the Korean American politician did not meet the requirements for a national cemetery burial.
The sources said the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office questioned Jennifer Ahn, the wife of former Rep. Kim, in person late last month as a witness, focusing on the circumstances behind the alleged delivery of the husband's private requests to the first lady via Choi.
Prosecutors reportedly plan to review whether to question the first lady herself, as well as how and when the questioning should be conducted if it is deemed necessary.
Choi Jae-young, a Korean American pastor, speaks to reporters in this file photo taken June 24, 2024, ahead of police questioning in Suwon, south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
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