President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Geon-hee, who completed their state visits to the UK and France, are returning to Korea on Air Force One at Seoul Airport in Gyeonggi and Seongnam on the 26th. 2023. 11. 26., Prosecutors investigating the suspicion surrounding the Dior bag gifted to Kim Geon-hee, the wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, by Choi Jae-young, the messenger of the Dior bag, have summoned a resident who claims to have found a book gifted by Choi to Kim at the apartment’s disposal center for questioning.
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, According to legal sources on the 19th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Criminal Division 1 (led by Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) has requested resident Kwon Sung-hee, who resides in the Acrovista apartment in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to appear as a reference witness. Kwon is scheduled to appear before the prosecution on the 21st at 2 p.m.
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, Kwon, who is a lawyer, claimed to have acquired several books believed to have been discarded by Kim at the Acrovista disposal center at the end of 2022 after Yoon and his wife moved from Acrovista to a residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu. Among these books are volumes 1 and 2 of Choi’s book “The Records of Jeon Tae-il,” as well as “Searching for Religion in the North,” and “Everyone Becomes a Gourmet in Pyongyang.” Written on the cover of the books is the inscription, “Presented to President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Geon-hee. 2022.7.23. Author: Reverend Choi Jae-young.” Choi’s side maintains that these books are indeed the ones gifted to Kim.
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, Kwon also reportedly discovered autobiographies, including “The Memoirs of Chun Doo-hwan” with the handwritten inscription of Chun’s wife Lee Soon-ja, and memoirs with the seal of approval by former President Kim Young-sam, with the date (June 16, 2022) coinciding with the date Kim received the book.
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, Choi claims to have delivered a total of 8 books including his own works and expensive liquor. However, it is not confirmed whether Kim actually received the books and liquor, as the handover was reportedly requested through a security checkpoint staff member.
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, Prosecutors plan to question Kwon about how the books were obtained and to confirm whether Kwon actually handed over the books to Kim. However, Kwon has reportedly not definitively responded to the prosecution’s request to voluntarily submit the books and relinquish ownership rights.
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, Meanwhile, prosecutors will summon Baek Eun-jong, the head of the YouTube channel Seoul’s Voice, who filed a complaint with the prosecution as the plaintiff accusing President Yoon and his wife of violating the Anti-Corruption Act, for questioning on the 20th at 2 p.m. Baek’s side plans to submit materials related to the complaint, including KakaoTalk conversations between Choi and Kim, to the prosecution.
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