SEOUL – South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said the presentation of a designer bag to the First Lady was a “political manoeuvre”, trying to stem public anger over the incident that has hit voter sentiment.
“It’s a plot,” Mr Yoon said in the interview conducted at the weekend and broadcast nationally on Feb 7 by KBS.
He indicated that the incident may have taken place to sway public opinion.
Opposition lawmakers have said the First Lady acted inappropriately and have called for an investigation.
Up until the interview, Mr Yoon had not spoken publicly about a video that appeared to show his wife Kim Keon-hee receiving a Christian Dior bag valued at about US$2,200 (S$2,960) from a Korean-American pastor in September 2022.
The video was shot with a hidden camera and released on the YouTube channel of a liberal political group.
The incident has cast a shadow over the President as his conservative People Power Party (PPP) is trying to wrest control of Parliament in an April election, which is shaping up to be a tight race.
A poll conducted on Jan 21 to 22 by cable TV channel YTN showed that almost 70 per cent of respondents thought Mr Yoon needed to address the issue.
“However, it’s not important whether to call it a political manoeuvre or not,” he said. “What’s important is to set clearer boundaries with others to prevent something like this from happening in the future.”
Mr Yoon said the problem stems from his wife not being able to cut ties with the pastor. “I can’t help but feel regret about it.”
The pastor, Mr Choi Jae-young, has sought a softening of the President’s tough stance towards North Korea.
The support rate for Mr Yoon fell to its lowest level since April 2023 in the latest weekly tracking poll from Gallup Korea amid simmering questions over the incident.
The Gallup Poll released on Feb 2 also showed that the support rate for Mr Yoon’s PPP fell to 34 per cent from 36 per cent from the week before, with the rate for the main opposition Democratic Party unchanged at 35 per cent.
The Democratic Party is focusing on the First Lady and used its majority in Parliament to push through a measure in December 2023 calling for a special investigation into allegations of stock manipulation.
Mr Yoon vetoed the Bill and his wife has denied any wrongdoing.
South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term, and the April election will determine whether Mr Yoon can push through his agenda or if he will continue to face gridlock in the body for the three years left in office.
If the PPP seizes control of Parliament from the opposition, it is likely to push through economic policies that include restraining fiscal spending, restoring nuclear energy use, taking on powerful labour unions, reducing regulations on business and cutting taxes on companies and real estate transactions.
The Democratic Party has called for higher taxes to help distribute more national wealth via fiscal stimulus.
It also wants to cut the use of nuclear power and is pushing for a rapprochement with North Korea. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS
