[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 during the ruling party's leadership election. The special counsel also sought a six-month prison term for Representative Kim's wife, pointing out that Representative Kim undermined public trust in public office.

Reporter Jang Hun-gyeong has the details.

[Reporter]

Representative Kim Gi-hyun and his wife were put on trial for allegedly 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 his final hearing today, Representative 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 sentence for Representative Kim and six months in prison for his spouse, while also requesting the confiscation of the bag.

The special counsel team pointed out that "Representative Kim rose to the position of ruling party leader through the improper support of the president and his spouse, and secretly handed over the luxury bag to repay political debts."

It further noted that "Representative Kim's actions shattered the public's trust in public office, and allowing such acts risks undermining the independence of party politics."

The team also criticized the couple for "evading responsibility and maintaining an arrogant silence in court."

In response, Representative Kim's side denied the charges, stating, "Both the gift and the letter were in the name of his spouse, not Representative Kim," and adding, "There was no gift intended for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, so it cannot be viewed as a token of appreciation for election support."

His camp argued that the special counsel investigation failed to identify the intermediary who delivered the bag or the location of the delivery, while Representative Kim denied any conspiracy with his wife, stating, "We separate our economic spheres and do not interfere with each other."

Representative Kim's spouse also stated, "It is true that I handed the gift to Kim, but it had nothing to do with the party leadership election and was done out of pure sincerity."

The first-instance sentencing hearing will be held on October 30.

(Video by: Kim Seung-tae | Video Editing by: Park Na-young)