김건희 “영부인은 클러치백 필수, 짝퉁 많이 사”…재판부에 “한쪽 편 들지 말라” 신경전도

Kim Geun-hee testified in court on October 10th regarding her role in the scandal involving former National Assembly member Kim Gwi-hwan and his wife, Kim Eun-sil. The court heard that Kim Eun-sil received a $27,700 clutch bag from Kim Gwi-hwan's wife as part of a campaign contribution. However, Kim Eun-sil claimed that she did not receive the bag directly from Kim Gwi-hwan's wife, and could not recall the exact circumstances of the delivery.

The court dismissed the fine of 300 million won previously imposed on Kim Eun-sil. When asked about the provenance of the bag, Kim Eun-sil said that she initially did not know about the bag but later recognized it. She also admitted to buying cheap knockoff bags in various colors. The prosecution questioned Kim Eun-sil about the legitimacy of receiving luxury gifts from a party leader's wife and another spouse, but Kim Eun-sil countered by challenging the prosecution's presumption that she was being singled out.

The court rejected the prosecution's leading question and Kim Eun-sil expressed her dissatisfaction, stating that the court should not take sides. The court informed Kim Eun-sil that the law does not apply penalties to the spouses of public officials for accepting money related to their duties, and Kim Eun-sil responded that she would not be answering if she did not understand the law.

The court then warned Kim Eun-sil not to extend the scope of the crime and Kim Eun-sil protested that she did not need to provide any further details. However, the court stated that she needed to answer based on her memory. The scandal involves Kim Gwi-hwan's party accusing Kim Eun-sil of accepting a 267,000 won clutch bag as part of a campaign contribution.