The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has lashed out at President Yoon Suk Yeol’s response to allegations surrounding the first lady, saying that his attitude was shameless and lacked an apology.

During a highly anticipated interview with broadcaster KBS on Wednesday, Yoon addressed accusations regarding first lady Kim Keon Hee’s alleged acceptance of a luxury handbag in 2022, saying that she failed to “coldheartedly reject” the gift giver.

Yoon said she could have handled the situation better, but he stopped short of offering an apology.

“The president did not offer an apology in the end,” said Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, the DP’s chief spokesperson, in a written press briefing Wednesday, accusing Yoon of betraying the public’s expectations for a sincere apology.

Yoon suggested that the Christian Dior bag was offered as a “political maneuver,” as it was rigged with a hidden camera, with the footage only surfacing last year ahead of an election year.

“The president’s shameless attitude is hopeless,” Kwon s
aid.

Yoon faced mounting pressure to address Kim’s allegations, which were largely viewed as a liability for the ruling party leading up to the April 10 parliamentary elections. The incident occurred after Yoon took office as president in May 2022.

Source: Yonhap News Agency