‘Dior Handbag Scandal’ Threatens South Korea's Ruling Party’s Chances Ahead Of Polls

The row erupted after hidden camera footage showed Yeol’s wife and South Korea's First Lady Kim Keon Hee accepting a “Dior” luxury bag as a gift.

The members of Yeol’s PPP have now urged him and his wife to apologise in order to bury the matter, which has surfaced ahead of elections, Reuters reported.

Local media has dubbed the controversy as "Dior bag scandal".

South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol maintains his silence over the controversy:

Yeoul has maintained silence over the controversy. Infact, at the weekend he has pushed for the party leader to resign due to a disagreement over some members' stance, the report said.

The report quoting analysts said Yeol by his behavior is creating a flash point that could end up costing PPP the April 10 election.

Yeol won a close election in 2022 but his PPP is a minority in the parliament, which is controlled by the rival Democratic Party.

According to the analysts, when Kim, as the spouse of a government official, accepted the purse, which had a price tag of 3 million won ($2,250), she may have violated an anti-bribery law.

The president Yeol’s supporters say Kim is the victim of an illegal plot to set her up and a smear campaign.

Controversy: 

The case surfaced in November when a YouTube channel aired a video clip secretly recorded by a Korean American pastor with a hidden camera as he visited Kim and handed her the handbag.

The pastor, Rev. Abraham Choi, who has been involved in religious exchanges with North Korea and is an advocate of engagement with Pyongyang, said he initially sought a meeting with Kim out of concern for Yoon's hardline North Korea policy.

“Choi said while Kim was a family acquaintance, her response to discussions over possible luxury gifts - including Chanel cosmetics he claims he gave her in their first meeting - led him to believe such gifts were the only way to secure an audience,” the report said.

"You might say they were like an entry pass, a ticket for a meeting (with Kim)," Choi was quoted as saying.

Yeol’s office said it had no information to provide when asked about Choi's claims, the report mentioned.