Prosecutors Re-summon Pastor Choi Jaeyoung for Investigation... "Submitted Call Recording Related to Solicitation"

Pastor Choi: "Mrs. Kim is making efforts to connect Presidential Office and related ministry staff"

Pastor Choi Jae-young, who gave luxury bags and other items to First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, has been summoned again by the prosecution.

Pastor Choi Jaeyoung, who is accused of delivering a luxury handbag to First Lady Kim Geonhee, was re-summoned to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 31st and responded to reporters' questions before heading to the investigation room.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) is investigating Pastor Choi on the 31st as a suspect on charges including violation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, trespassing, and obstruction of official duties by deception.

Upon appearing at the prosecution on the day, Pastor Choi claimed, "(First Lady Kim) unfortunately accepted all the gifts given and responded to about half of the solicitations," adding, "I even made efforts to connect the Presidential Office and related government officials."

He continued, "I brought recordings of phone calls and text messages with Manager Jo from the Presidential Office, as well as recordings of calls with a staff member from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, intending to submit them to the prosecution."

However, he added, "It was in the form of undercover reporting where I gave various gifts and attempted various solicitations," and "In reality, none of the solicitations were fulfilled."

Pastor Choi claimed that from June to September 2022, he gave First Lady Kim luxury perfumes and cosmetics worth about 1.8 million won, alcohol, books, luxury bags worth about 3 million won, and during this process, personnel solicitations involving third parties were also made.

After President Yoon's inauguration, on September 13, 2022, Pastor Choi visited Kim at the Kobana Contents office located in the basement of Acrovista in Seocho-dong, Seoul, and gave her a Christian Dior pouch worth about 3 million won. Using a watch equipped with a hidden camera provided by Seoul's Sound, Pastor Choi filmed the scene of giving the bag and provided it to Seoul's Sound, which reported it in November last year.

At that time, since the presidential residence in Hannam-dong was not yet prepared, President Yoon was commuting between his home in Acrovista and the Yongsan Presidential Office.

Following the report, Baek Eun-jong, CEO of Seoul's Sound, filed a complaint with the prosecution in December last year against President Yoon and his wife for violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and bribery charges.

After the first prosecution investigation, Pastor Choi further disclosed KakaoTalk messages containing specific solicitation details through Seoul's Sound. When he requested the resumption of broadcasting on Tongil TV and the burial of former lawmaker Kim Chang-jun in the National Cemetery, First Lady Kim connected him to Manager Jo from the Presidential Secretariat's General Affairs Office, who then had a staff member from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs check the possibility of burial in the National Cemetery.

Regarding the contact with Manager Jo, Pastor Choi said, "Secretary Yoo, a close aide to First Lady Kim, spoke to them, and they contacted me," adding, "I will submit the text messages showing the manager providing the phone number and workplace of the veterans affairs staff member, as well as call records, to the prosecution."

He further explained, "The call records include that the Presidential Office gave a hint to the veterans affairs staff," and "The staff member also spoke with the wife of former lawmaker Kim and with me."

Regarding the Tongil TV issue, he said, "I requested the Presidential Office to look into what kind of conspiracy was involved out of desperation," adding, "By then, the resumption of broadcasting was already impossible and had reached an irreparable state."

The prosecution is accelerating the investigation by retaining the heads of Criminal Division 1 and Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2, who are investigating the allegations involving First Lady Kim, in the mid-level executive personnel reshuffle conducted on the 29th.