First lady Kim Keon-hee testified in court that she discovered the luxury handbag in question while checking various bags at the presidential residence, in relation to the Roger Vivier clutch bag she received from Rep. Kim Ki-hyun of the People Power Party and his spouse.

Mrs. Kim appeared as a witness on the 10th at the trial of Rep. Kim Ki-hyun and his spouse, surnamed Lee, who are charged with violating the Anti-Graft Act, held before the 22nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Cho Hyung-woo). On this day, the bench notified her that the right to refuse testimony would not be granted, as there are no penal provisions for bribery charges against a presidential spouse. The 3 million won fine previously imposed on Mrs. Kim was also canceled as a result of her appearance.

During witness questioning, Mrs. Kim acknowledged receiving the bag but stated that she had no recollection of receiving it in person and did not clearly know the circumstances of its delivery. She said, 'It seems to have come indirectly, but I don't really remember where it came from or through whom I received it,' explaining that given her personality, she does not probe into such matters. She added, 'A clutch bag is an essential item for a first lady, so it's needed to match the color of the outfit, and I've bought a lot of counterfeits (knockoffs) too.'

Mrs. Kim, who stated that she was unaware of receiving the bag at first but recognized it later, also testified that she had no memory of seeing the handwritten letter from Rep. Kim's spouse when she discovered the bag. She said that although she did not send a separate thank-you note after confirming the bag, she felt grateful.

When the special counsel team pointed out that receiving a luxury gift and a handwritten letter by the ruling party leader or their spouse was unusual, Mrs. Kim strongly pushed back. She protested, 'Have they investigated all the first ladies? Wasn't I the only one investigated?' and 'Do the public really know? Doesn't the prosecutor also not know how the presidential residence operates?' She went on to reveal that during the trial, she felt the special counsel team's questions were coercive and were treating her like a criminal.

Meanwhile, Rep. Kim Ki-hyun and his spouse, Lee, were indicted on charges of providing Mrs. Kim with a Roger Vivier clutch bag on the 17th of the same month in exchange for mobilizing Unification Church followers to support Kim during the People Power Party leadership election on March 8, 2023. The payment for the bag was found to have been withdrawn from Rep. Kim's salary account. Rep. Kim's side acknowledges the bag gift itself but argues that there was no illicit solicitation and that it was a matter of social courtesy. In relation to this, Mrs. Kim emphasized that she knows nothing about matters related to the party leadership election and that the issue is an attempt to frame Rep. Kim.