The online media 'Voice of Seoul,' which first exposed and reported the luxury handbag bribery case involving Kim Keon-hee, the wife of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, has filed a second appeal, requesting the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office to review the decision to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence.
According to the legal community on the 24th, Voice of Seoul sent a formal letter to the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office the previous day, urging a re-investigation into the allegations against former President Yoon and Kim Keon-hee for violating the Anti-Corruption Act.
While the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office decided last month to reopen the investigation into the allegations of stock price manipulation related to Deutsch Motors, it dismissed the appeal regarding the bribery case for lack of necessity for re-investigation.
In response, Voice of Seoul stated, "Last year, when Pastor Choi Jae-young was being investigated, the prosecutor led him to respond by explaining that gifts are merely a means of meeting and do not constitute bribery, and they do not appear to have relevance to his official duties," and filed the second appeal.
Additionally, Voice of Seoul argued that it is difficult to accept the conclusion of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office that Pastor Choi's requests for Kim Keon-hee to participate in a U.S. private diplomatic delegation event, and his solicitation of former U.S. Congressman Kim Chang-jun's appointment as a presidential advisory committee member and national cemetery interment, have no relevance to the President's official duties, and urged for a re-investigation.
They claimed that continuous requests were made around June 2022, when Pastor Choi gifted Kim Keon-hee a 'Chanel' perfume and cosmetics set, and September of the same year, when he gifted her the luxury handbag.
Voice of Seoul claimed in the second appeal document, "The prosecution has launched compulsory investigations such as search and seizure regarding the bribery case related to Geonjin Beopsa, but has not conducted any compulsory investigations regarding the similar structure of the luxury handbag allegations."
Previously, Voice of Seoul released a 'hidden camera' video in November 2023 showing Kim Keon-hee receiving a Christian Dior bag from Pastor Choi, and reported the former President and his wife in December of the same year. However, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office dismissed the case in October of last year, stating that there was no relevance to official duties or consideration.