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South Korea officials shift attention from Dior bag scandal to ex-first lady’s Chanel coat

  • The ruling People Power Party says it will investigate the wife of former leader Moon Jae-in for allegedly buying a Chanel jacket with taxpayers’ money
  • The move comes as current President Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife faces heat for accepting a US$2,200 Dior bag from a Korean-American pastor in 2022

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Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook on May 10, 2022. Photo: YNA/dpa
South Korea’s ruling party has sought to turn the tables on the opposition over corruption by seeking an investigation into former first lady Kim Jung-sook’s alleged purchase of a Chanel jacket using public funds, as it reels from a similar scandal involving current leader Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife.
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People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Kang Min-kuk said Kim’s custom-made black and white coat resulted in “a noticeable loss in government funds”.

“What really needs to be addressed and questioned is the current whereabouts of the Chanel jacket worn by ex-first lady Kim Jung-sook when she accompanied her husband [Moon Jae-in] to his state visit to France in 2018,” Kang said ahead of a meeting led by the opposition Democratic Party to discuss issues, including the conduct of President Yoon’s spouse.

The PPP boycotted Monday’s gathering.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook, pose before a state dinner in Paris on October 15, 2018. Photo: AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook, pose before a state dinner in Paris on October 15, 2018. Photo: AFP

Another legislator, Lee Jong-bae, accused Kim of retaining the accessory lent by the French luxury fashion brand for her trip to the European nation with Moon.

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