Kim Gihyeon Acquitted in First Trial Over 'Luxury Bag Gift to Kim Keon Hee': "Excessive Political Oppression"

Kim Gihyeon, a People Power Party lawmaker, said on October 30, after being acquitted in the first trial on charges of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, “It is becoming clear that the zombie special counsel’s indiscriminate indictment was ultimately nothing more than excessive political oppression,” adding, “I will do everything in my power to restore normalcy in South Korea and uphold judicial justice.”

Yonhap News Agency

Kim’s wife, identified by her surname Lee, who was indicted on the same charges, was fined 5 million won. The court determined that the luxury bag worth approximately 2.6 million won that Lee gave to Kim Keon Hee, wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was a token of gratitude for supporting Kim’s candidacy and election at the party convention. However, it found insufficient evidence to prove that Kim conspired in or took part in his wife’s delivery of the bag.

“Even the Lee Jae-myung administration’s heavy-handed intimidation of the judiciary could not defeat justice,” Kim said. He added, “It is hard to accept that my wife was fined based on speculation, relying on the special counsel’s reckless indictment, to establish a connection to my official duties. I believe I will be acquitted in the appeals trial.”

Kim also said, “The day is not far off when the special counsel, which has made itself a lackey of the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party, will be punished under the ‘law on distortion of law’ created by the Democratic Party.” He added, “I thank the people of Ulsan and the people of South Korea who believed in my innocence and waited for me.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.