South Korea: First lady's Dior bag shakes country's leadership

The controversy over South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee allegedly accepting a luxury bag gift has thrown its ruling People Power Party (PPP) into disarray.

Spy camera footage released late last year appeared to show a pastor presenting a Christian Dior bag to her.

Some analysts say the scandal threatens the prospects of President Yoon Suk Yeol's party in April's elections.

Voters want an explanation from Mr Yoon, polls show, while the opposition has used the issue to attack him.

The video, published by left-wing YouTube channel Voice of Seoul, is reported to have been secretly filmed by the pastor Choi Jae-young using a camera embedded in his watch.

It appeared to show Mr Choi walking to a store to purchase the greyish-blue calfskin bag, with a receipt putting its cost at 3m won ($2,200; £1,800). Mr Choi then visits Covana Contents, a company in Seoul owned by the first lady, where Ms Kim then asks the pastor, "Why do you keep bringing me these things?"

The bag was allegedly given to the first lady in September 2022, according to local media.

While the video does not explicitly show Ms Kim accepting the gift, the Korea Herald reported that the presidential office confirmed receipt of the bag and said that it was "being managed and stored as a property of the government."

Mr Yoon's office is reportedly planning to address the issue "as early as this month", Yonhap news agency reported, citing unnamed sources.

A recent poll showed that 69% of the country's eligible voters want an explanation from the president about his wife's actions. An earlier poll in December showed 53% of respondents believed her behaviour was inappropriate.

The scandal is blowing up just three months before South Korea's legislative elections. It also