Dior bag causes problems for South Korea’s first lady
Listen to the story (Kenyan accent)
South Korea’s first lady, Kim Keon Hee, is in the middle of a controversy.
A video shows a pastor giving her an expensive Dior bag. This has caused problems for her husband, President Yoon Suk Yeol, and his political party, the People Power Party (PPP).
The video was secretly filmed by the pastor, Choi Jae-young, with a camera in his watch. The video shows Mr. Choi buying the bag and then visiting a company that Ms. Kim owns. The bag cost 3 million won (about $2,200).
The bag was reportedly given to Ms. Kim in September 2022. The video doesn’t show Ms. Kim take the bag, but the president’s staff say that they have the bag. The bag is being kept as government property.
69% of voters want President Yoon Suk Yeol to explain what happened. 53% think Ms. Kim’s actions were not right.
In South Korea, it is illegal for public officials and their spouses to get a gift worth more than 1 million won (about $750). They are not allowed to get more than 3 million won (about $2,250) worth of gifts in a year.
This is not the first time Ms. Kim has been in trouble. People say she did illegal things with stocks. Also, a plan to make a new road was canceled last year. Some people say the project would have increased the value of land that Ms. Kim’s family owns.
The government wanted to investigate Ms. Kim, but her husband stopped that.
Vocabulary24 words
- First lady
- The wife of the president of a country
- In the middle of
- at the center of; involved in; connected with; part of
- Controversy
- a public disagreement; a long, heated, public discussion; a situation that makes many people angry
- Pastor
- A person who leads a church; A religious leader
- Cause
- make something (usually bad) happen; create
- Husband
- A man who is married
- President
- leader; the top person in a large company, organization, or country; boss
- Party (political party)
- an organization of people with the same political views; a group of people who work together to get political power
- Secretly
- Doing something without telling other people; Doing something without others knowing
- Film
- To record video with a camera
- Own
- To have something that belongs to you; To have something as yours; something is yours
- Reportedly
- according to what people say about something; someone says something is true, but there is no direct evidence
- Staff
- The people who work for a company or organization; workers
- Government
- the group of people who have the authority to make and enforce laws and manage a country or region; the people/group that manage and operate a country
- Property
- a building; a house; land
- Voter
- A person who votes or makes a choice in an election; Someone who can choose leaders by voting
- Action
- Something that someone does; a thing done; an act; a move; the process of doing something
- Illegal
- not allowed by law; forbidden by official rules; unlawful; criminal
- Public official
- a person who works for the government
- Spouse
- A person’s husband or wife
- Worth
- the value that something has, usually in terms of money;
- Allowed
- permission to do something; it’s OK; permitted; you may; you can
- Stock
- the money a company has from selling shares (parts of the company) on the stock market
- Investigate
- to research; to study; to find out more
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
South Korea’s first _____, Kim Keon Hee, is in the middle of a controversy.
A _____ shows a pastor giving her an expensive Dior _____. This has caused problems for her husband, _____ Yoon Suk Yeol, and his political party, the People Power _____ (PPP).
The video was secretly _____ by the pastor, Choi Jae-young, with a camera in his watch. The _____ shows Mr. Choi buying the bag and then _____ a company that Ms. Kim owns. The bag cost 3 million won (about $_____).
The bag was _____ given to Ms. Kim in September 2022. The video doesn’t show Ms. Kim _____ the bag, but the president’s staff say that they have the bag. The bag is being _____ as government property.
_____% of voters want President Yoon Suk Yeol to explain what happened. _____% think Ms. Kim’s actions were not right.
In South Korea, it is _____ for public officials and their spouses to get a gift worth more than 1 million won (about $_____). They are not allowed to get more than 3 million won (about $2,250) _____ of gifts in a year.
This is not the first _____ Ms. Kim has been in trouble. People say she did illegal things with _____. Also, a plan to make a new road was canceled last _____. Some people say the project would have _____ the value of land that Ms. Kim’s family _____.
The government wanted to investigate Ms. Kim, but her _____ stopped that.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the pastor gave such an expensive gift to the First Lady?
- What do you think about the controversy involving First Lady Kim Keon Hee and the Dior bag?
- How do you feel about the president stopping the investigation into his wife?
- What do you think about the law in South Korea regarding gifts to public officials?
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