Democratic Party Warns of Kim Geon-hee's Indictment... "Despicable and Violent? There's a Limit to Hypocrisy"

Jang Kyung-tae "Why Block the Delivery of the National Assembly Inspection Accompaniment Order?"
"Non-attendance Will Be Prosecuted According to the National Assembly Testimony and Appraisal Act"

The Democratic Party of Korea announced that it will respond with a 'criminal complaint' regarding First Lady Kim Geon-hee's absence after being summoned as a witness for the National Assembly's audit. On the 21st, Democratic Party lawmakers issued a summons for Kim and visited the presidential residence, during which they clashed with police forces blocking their entry.

On the 22nd, Democratic Party and Innovation Party lawmakers from the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Legislation Committee) held a press conference, stating, "We will hold First Lady Kim Geon-hee legally accountable for deliberately evading receipt of the summons." The Legislation Committee had called Kim as a witness during the Supreme Prosecutors' Office audit on the 21st regarding allegations such as the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation, but she did not appear. Consequently, committee members Jang Kyung-tae, Lee Geon-tae, and Lee Seong-yoon visited the presidential residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to deliver the summons. However, police blocked their access by setting up barricades, preventing the execution of the summons.

Members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the Democratic Party, Jang Kyung-tae, Lee Geon-tae, and Lee Sung-yoon, were blocked by police forces and Blue House security personnel while moving near the presidential residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 21st to deliver a summons for Kim Geon-hee to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

The Presidential Office strongly criticized the opposition's issuance of the summons to First Lady Kim during a briefing that morning, stating, "We strongly regret the Democratic Party's low and violent political behavior, which not only impeaches prosecutors and intimidates the judiciary but also excessively issues special prosecutor summonses." Opposition lawmakers responded by saying, "There is a limit to audacity," and "The fact that First Lady Kim is under numerous suspicions is already a national embarrassment."

Opposition lawmakers said at the press conference, "According to Article 13, Paragraph 2 of the National Assembly Witness Examination Act, 'If a witness refuses to comply with a summons or deliberately evades receipt of the summons, or causes a third party to obstruct the execution of the summons, they shall be punished by imprisonment for up to five years.' The Legislation Committee has previously filed complaints against those who failed to appear without justifiable reasons during audits or hearings. Being the president's spouse does not exempt one from this."

After the press conference, lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae told reporters, "After the audit concludes, we plan to file complaints based on the combined behaviors of absence and perjury during the audit." There is a possibility of filing complaints in early November, when the audit ends, against First Lady Kim, her mother Choi Eun-soon, who also did not attend the audit, and the head of the interior design company responsible for the presidential residence renovation.

As the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee issued a summons for President Yoon Seok-yeol's wife Kim Geon-hee and Kim's mother Choi Eun-soon, on the 21st, police forces and Blue House security officials near the presidential residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, are blocking the press from approaching. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

They explained that the report against the police who blocked the delivery of the summons the previous day was made by 'citizens.' Lawmaker Jang said, "We did not file the report ourselves; it was done by YouTubers or passersby who witnessed the situation," adding, "The police controlled personnel on sidewalks, roads, and overpasses, creating a scene reminiscent of a wartime situation, which led to a 112 emergency call." However, they said that the police officers would be included in the comprehensive complaint after the audit.