Dior Handbag: Scandal Embarrasses South Korean President

The President of South Korea is facing increasing pressure after his wife was photographed accepting a handbag from the brand "Dior" from a pastor known for advocating closer ties with nuclear-armed North Korea, according to the Telegraph. Footage from a hidden camera showing Kim Kyung-hee accepting the $2,250 (approximately £1,750) handbag as a gift has been dubbed the "Dior handbag scandal" by local media. The scandal threatens to undermine the conservative People's Power Party, led by Yoon Suk-yeol, in its efforts to win a majority in the upcoming national assembly elections in April. Some party members have urged the president and his wife to apologize for the incident and acknowledge that receiving the handbag was at least inappropriate, in hopes of putting the matter to rest. Yoon was reportedly considering whether to personally address concerns regarding this issue in a television interview, according to the Yonhap news agency. It has been reported that the president plans to assert that his wife Kim was a victim of a political stunt and criminal act related to the hidden camera filming. Local media quoted an unnamed presidential official stating that gifts received by the couple are handled and stored as government property.