Prosecutors Summon Presidential Office Administrator, Close Associate of First Lady Kim Keon-hee, for Investigation

The prosecution investigating allegations of luxury handbag acceptance involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee, wife of President Yoon Suk-yeol, has summoned a presidential office administrator who assists her as a witness.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the legal community on the 19th, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Seung-ho) summoned presidential office administrator Jo in the morning for questioning. This is the first time the prosecution has summoned a presidential office official for investigation related to this case. Administrator Jo is considered one of the close aides who have assisted First Lady Kim closely since President Yoon's inauguration.

Administrator Jo is also the person identified by Pastor Choi Jae-young, who handed luxury handbags to the First Lady, as playing the role of a 'liaison for the solicitation.' Pastor Choi stated that when he asked First Lady Kim to arrange for former U.S. Congressman Kim Chang-joon to be buried in the National Cemetery, Kim's secretary connected him to Administrator Jo. Pastor Choi said that on October 17, 2022, Administrator Jo called him and explained the review results of the solicitation, saying, "I received contact from 'Seocho-dong' regarding Congressman Kim Chang-joon." However, since former Congressman Kim did not meet the requirements for burial in the National Cemetery, the solicitation did not actually succeed.

The prosecution is expected to question Administrator Jo about the related circumstances based on Pastor Choi's testimony.

The investigation into the First Lady's alleged acceptance of luxury handbags had seen little progress since the complaint was filed in December last year, but has accelerated since early last month when Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok ordered the formation of a dedicated investigation team. Following the summons and questioning of Pastor Choi last month as a suspect on charges including violation of the Anti-Graft Act, the investigation is expected to gain momentum with the questioning of Administrator Jo, a close aide to the First Lady. Based on this, the prosecution is likely to consider whether, when, and how to question the First Lady in the future.