[News Today] FIRST LADY’S CHARGES DROPPED

[LEAD]
The ten-month investigation into allegations that First Lady Kim Keon-hee received a luxury handbag as a bribe has come to an end. The prosecution found no charges against the first lady or Pastor Choi Jae-young, along with all other parties involved.

[REPORT]
First lady Kim Keon-hee was reported to the prosecution for receiving a Dior handbag and other gifts from pastor Choi Jae-young and thereby violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act.

After a five-month-long investigation, the prosecution dismissed her case without charges.

The prosecution concluded that the gifts that Pastor Choi had given the first lady were just to build a friendly relationship and the means to see her and were not related to President Yoon Suk Yeol's official duties.

The case dismissal was also based on the fact that although the anti-solicitation law prohibits a spouse from receiving money and gifts, there is no stipulation pertaining to punishment when the law is violated. Consequently, the charges against the pastor were also dropped.

The bribery charge was dropped as well since the first lady isn't a public official and there is no evidence of her colluding with the president.

The Korean-American pastor was also freed of the charge of breaking and entering because his visit had been scheduled in advance.

The prosecution also didn't punish him for defamation since YouTube based media outlet Voice of Seoul had released the video of him handing the gifts to the first lady in the interest of the public.

Earlier last month, the prosecution's Investigation Review Committee had voted unanimously to recommend that the first lady be not indicted while voting eight-to-seven in favor of indicting pastor Choi.

This is the first time that the prosecution didn't follow the committee's recommendation since the investigation review committee system was adopted in 2018.