The prosecution has completed its investigation into allegations that First Lady Kim Keon-hee illegally accepted a luxury bag from a Korean American pastor in September 2022, and is set to clear Kim of suspicions.

A probe team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office recently completed the investigation and reported the results to the head of the office, Lee Chang-soo. A report has also been sent to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

Kim faces suspicions of violating the anti-graft law for allegedly accepting a Christian Dior handbag valued at around three million won from Pastor Choi Jae-young during a meeting in Seoul in September 2022. 

The probe team reportedly concluded that Kim did not violate the anti-graft law and that the luxury bag and other gifts by Choi were intended as tokens of gratitude or means to facilitate a meeting, rather than payments for securing favors.

Lee plans to brief Prosecutor General Lee One-seok on the probe results in person on Thursday.

Conspiring with the YouTube-based media outlet Voice of Seoul, Choi secretly filmed his meeting with Kim. The media outlet released the footage last November and filed a complaint with the prosecution against the first lady and President Yoon Suk Yel for alleged bribery and anti-graft law violations.