Prosecutors question museum director over ex-first lady’s jacket allegations

Prosecutors on Monday questioned the director of the National Hangeul Museum (NHM) for questioning over allegations surrounding a luxury jacket worn by former President Moon Jae-in's wife, Kim Jung-sook, during a visit to France in 2018. Kim Il-hwan, the director of the NHM, underwent questioning as a witness at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, which has been investigating the suspicion that Kim did not return the Korean alphabet-themed jacket that she rented from Chanel and wore during her trip to France in October 2018. Prosecutors reportedly asked the NHM director about the circumstances leading to Chanel's donation of the jacket to the museum. They also called in another NHM official as a witness. Moon's office said previously that the jacket was returned in March 2022 and Chanel donated it to the NHM for public display. But critics said later that the jacket donated to the NHM was different from the one worn by Kim and then Chanel changed its previous position, saying the company donat ed a separate jacket at the request of the NHM. Lee Jong-bae, a Seoul city councilor affiliated with the ruling People Power Party, filed a complaint with the prosecution in January this year, raising suspicion that Kim may have kept the jacket instead of returning it. Source: Yonhap News Agency