[Anchor]
The special counsel team has demanded a one-year prison sentence for People Power Party Representative Kim Gi-hyun, who is accused of handing over a luxury bag to Kim Keon-hee in exchange for support in the ruling party's leadership election. The special counsel team also sought a six-month prison term for Rep. Kim's wife, pointing out that Rep. Kim undermined public trust in public office.
Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the details.
[Reporter]
Rep. Kim Gi-hyun and his wife were put on trial for handing over a 2.67 million won Roger Vivier clutch bag to Kim Keon-hee in March 2023 as a token of appreciation for support in the People Power Party leadership election.
Arriving at the final sentencing hearing today (the 28th), Rep. Kim repeatedly maintained his innocence.
[Kim Gi-hyun / Representative, People Power Party: Justice will prevail. The truth will come to light.]
However, the special counsel team demanded a one-year prison term for Rep. Kim and six months in prison for his spouse, while also requesting the confiscation of the bag.
The special counsel team pointed out that "Rep. Kim rose to the position of ruling party leader through improper support from the president and his spouse, and secretly handed over the luxury bag to pay off a political debt."
They added that "Rep. Kim's actions destroyed public trust in public office, and allowing this would risk undermining the independence of party politics."
They also criticized the couple for "evading responsibility and maintaining an arrogant silence in court."
In response, Rep. Kim's side denied the charges, stating, "Both the gift and the letter were in the name of his spouse, not Rep. Kim," and "There was no gift intended for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, so it cannot be viewed as a reward for election support."
They also argued that the special counsel investigation failed to identify the intermediary who delivered the bag or the location of the delivery, while Rep. Kim denied conspiracy charges with his wife, stating, "We separated our financial spheres and did not interfere with each other."
Rep. Kim's spouse also stated, "It is true that I handed the gift to Kim, but it was done out of pure sincerity and had nothing to do with the party leadership election."
The first-instance sentencing hearing will be held on October 30.
(Photo: Kim Seung-tae | Video Editing: Park Na-young)
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