Kim Keon Hee Admits to Receiving Chanel Bag... "Reflects on Inappropriate Conduct"

[Financial News] For the first time, Kim Keon Hee has admitted to receiving a Chanel bag through Geonjin Beopsa, Jeon Sungbae. While Kim expressed her apologies, she emphasized that it was not compensation for any solicitation by the Unification Church.
On the 5th, Kim's legal team issued a statement acknowledging, "Kim Keon Hee admits to having received 'two bags as gifts' from Jeon Sungbae," and added, "She deeply reflects on having disappointed the public due to inappropriate conduct, when she should have acted more prudently as the spouse of a public official."
The statement continued, "Although Kim initially declined the bag, she ultimately failed to refuse due to Jeon's persuasion, despite the need for greater strictness as the spouse of a public official. She fully recognizes this mistake. The gifts were never used and had already been returned to Jeon in the past."
Furthermore, "Through this incident, Kim Keon Hee has come to fully realize the gravity of her role as the spouse of a public official and the weight of public expectations. She humbly accepts public criticism and, as always, will sincerely cooperate with all procedures and reveal the truth without any falsehood. As she deeply reflects on her misconduct, we will strive to ensure that all other matters are judged based on facts and law, not speculation or distortion."
However, the statement stressed, "At no point was there any collusion with the Unification Church or any form of solicitation or compensation involved." It also stated, "The allegation of receiving a Graff necklace is categorically denied," rejecting the accusation regarding the Graff necklace.
The legal team pointed out, "The testimony of Jeon Sungbae, the key witness in this case, has changed multiple times from the initial investigation to the court proceedings. In particular, the special prosecutor conducted lengthy interviews and investigations without allowing Jeon's legal counsel to participate, and did not even leave an investigation report, which is a clear violation of procedural due process."
The statement further argued, "The special prosecutor claims that various solicitations were made in exchange for valuables, but these were never conveyed to Kim Keon Hee and, more importantly, are unrelated to the president's official duties. They were merely vague expectations or expressions of goodwill. Yoon Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church World Mission Headquarters who delivered the gifts, has himself stated that he never made any specific requests to Kim Keon Hee or the president."

scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter